▁C ertain ▁other ▁metal ▁bor ides ▁find ▁special ized ▁applications ▁as ▁hard ▁materials ▁for ▁cutting ▁tools . ▁O ften ▁the ▁bor on ▁in ▁bor ides ▁has ▁fraction al ▁ox id ation ▁states , ▁such ▁as ▁− 1 / 3 ▁in ▁calci um ▁hex abor ide ▁( Ca B 6 ). ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁struct ural ▁perspective , ▁the ▁most ▁distinct ive ▁chemical ▁comp ounds ▁of ▁bor on ▁are ▁the ▁hyd rides . ▁In cluded ▁in ▁this ▁series ▁are ▁the ▁cluster ▁comp ounds ▁d ode c abor ate ▁( ), ▁dec abor ane ▁( B 1 0 H 1 4 ), ▁and ▁the ▁car bor anes ▁such ▁as ▁C 2 B 1 0 H 1 2 . ▁Character ist ically ▁such ▁comp ounds ▁contain ▁bor on ▁with ▁coord ination ▁numbers ▁greater ▁than ▁four . ▁ ▁Is ot op es ▁ ▁Bor on ▁has ▁two ▁naturally ▁occurr ing ▁and ▁stable ▁is ot op es , ▁ 1 1 B ▁( 8 0 . 1 %) ▁and ▁ 1 0 B ▁( 1 9 . 9 %). ▁The ▁mass ▁difference ▁results ▁in ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁ δ 1 1 B ▁values , ▁which ▁are ▁defined ▁as ▁a ▁fraction al ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 1 B ▁and ▁ 1 0 B ▁and ▁tradition ally ▁expressed ▁in ▁parts ▁per ▁thousand , ▁in ▁natural ▁waters ▁r anging ▁from ▁− 1 6 ▁to ▁+ 5 9 . ▁There ▁are ▁ 1 3 ▁known ▁is ot op es ▁of ▁bor on , ▁the ▁short est - l ived ▁is