ders ▁are ▁widely ▁used ▁as ▁ab ras ives . ▁Bor on ▁nit ride ▁is ▁a ▁material ▁is oe lect ron ic ▁to ▁carbon . ▁Similar ▁to ▁carbon , ▁it ▁has ▁both ▁hex ag onal ▁( soft ▁graph ite - like ▁h - B N ) ▁and ▁cub ic ▁( hard , ▁diam ond - like ▁c - B N ) ▁forms . ▁h - B N ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁high ▁temperature ▁component ▁and ▁lub ric ant . ▁c - B N , ▁also ▁known ▁under ▁commercial ▁name ▁bor azon , ▁is ▁a ▁superior ▁ab ras ive . ▁Its ▁hard ness ▁is ▁only ▁slightly ▁smaller ▁than , ▁but ▁its ▁chemical ▁stability ▁is ▁superior , ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁diam ond . ▁H eter od iam ond ▁( also ▁called ▁B CN ) ▁is ▁another ▁diam ond - like ▁bor on ▁comp ound . ▁ ▁Met all ur gy ▁ ▁Bor on ▁is ▁added ▁to ▁bor on ▁ste els ▁at ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁a ▁few ▁parts ▁per ▁million ▁to ▁increase ▁hard en ability . ▁High er ▁percent ages ▁are ▁added ▁to ▁ste els ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁nuclear ▁industry ▁due ▁to ▁bor on ' s ▁neut ron ▁absor ption ▁ability . ▁ ▁Bor on ▁can ▁also ▁increase ▁the ▁surface ▁hard ness ▁of ▁ste els ▁and ▁allo ys ▁through ▁bor iding . ▁Additionally ▁metal ▁bor ides ▁are ▁used ▁for ▁co ating ▁tools ▁through ▁chemical ▁v apor ▁de position ▁or ▁physical ▁v apor ▁de position . ▁Im plant ation ▁of ▁bor on ▁ ions ▁into ▁met als ▁and