▁that ▁electric ▁current ▁sent ▁through ▁a ▁solution ▁of ▁bor ates ▁produced ▁a ▁brown ▁precip itate ▁on ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁electro des . ▁In ▁his ▁subsequent ▁experiments , ▁he ▁used ▁pot ass ium ▁to ▁reduce ▁bor ic ▁acid ▁instead ▁of ▁electro ly s is . ▁He ▁produced ▁enough ▁bor on ▁to ▁confirm ▁a ▁new ▁element ▁and ▁named ▁the ▁element ▁b ora ci um . ▁Gay - L uss ac ▁and ▁Th én ard ▁used ▁iron ▁to ▁reduce ▁bor ic ▁acid ▁at ▁high ▁temper atures . ▁By ▁ox id izing ▁bor on ▁with ▁air , ▁they ▁showed ▁that ▁bor ic ▁acid ▁is ▁an ▁ox id ation ▁product ▁of ▁bor on . ▁J ö ns ▁Jacob ▁Ber zel ius ▁identified ▁bor on ▁as ▁an ▁element ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 4 . ▁P ure ▁bor on ▁was ▁arg u ably ▁first ▁produced ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁chem ist ▁E zek iel ▁We int ra ub ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁ ▁Pre par ation ▁of ▁element al ▁bor on ▁in ▁the ▁labor atory ▁The ▁earliest ▁routes ▁to ▁element al ▁bor on ▁involved ▁the ▁reduction ▁of ▁bor ic ▁ox ide ▁with ▁met als ▁such ▁as ▁mag nes ium ▁or ▁al umin ium . ▁However , ▁the ▁product ▁is ▁almost ▁always ▁cont amin ated ▁with ▁bor ides ▁of ▁those ▁met als . ▁P ure ▁bor on ▁can ▁be ▁prepared ▁by ▁reducing ▁vol atile ▁bor on ▁hal ides ▁with ▁hydro gen ▁at ▁high ▁temper atures . ▁Ult rap ure ▁bor on ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁the ▁sem icon duct