Kontrapunkt B

[Jimbo]

Boron is getting harder to source, so manufacturers are looking for alternatives.
One of the reasons the high end Technics cartridges were highly regarded is due to the boron pipe cantilevers.

Jico stopped using Boron and turned to Sapphire and Ruby cantilevers because issues with getting boron but I believe this issue has now been resolved.?

[Jimbo]

Hi,

Diamond is even stiffer than Boron.

Ortofon have a diamond cantilever cartridge called the MC Century




Carbon fibre nanotube and Graphene has diamond stiffness.

Love to hear one of those!

[Bigman80]

Well, after some digging it seems that most manufacturers reserve boron for their high end carts. There must be a reason for this but what, is very hard to find.

I'll keep looking.

[alphaGT]

Well, after some digging it seems that most manufacturers reserve boron for their high end carts. There must be a reason for this but what, is very hard to find.

I'll keep looking.

It’s extremely rare and expensive, and not easily tooled.

Russell

[Bigman80]

That'll be it then. Apparently quite dangerous to mine too!

Ok, maybe Boron is king of the Cantilevers.

It’s extremely rare and expensive, and not easily tooled.

Russell

[Bigman80]

Mohs scale of hardness :-

Boron 9.5
Ruby 9.0

Well there you have it, Boron IS harder!

[SCIDB]

Hi,

I rremember reading about Ortofon and their boron shortage. Looking around, it doesn't seemed to point to a world shortage of boron. Turkey & the USA seem to produce 3/4 of the stuff.

The stuff is not cheap when compared to iron, copper etc.

I have found a figure of $1114 per 100g for pure boron & $500 per 100g for bulk boron.

http://www.chemicool.com/elements/boron.html

[Bigman80]

That's not cheap at all lol. Can see why they swapped to Ruby/Sapphire for the time being as they have very similar strengths.

[RobbieGong]

Well, after some digging it seems that most manufacturers reserve boron for their high end carts. There must be a reason for this but what, is very hard to find.

I'll keep looking.

Some kind of boron shortage is the reason they are holding what they have for their higher end carts. I think i posted on it some time ago in another thread.

Its why they changed from boron to Saphire for the Quintet Black, which is reflected in current Quintet Black branding - Quintet Black S.

[SCIDB]

Hi,

The bulk of boron is used in compounds. These will be mainly used in the production of fibreglass. It is also used in Borosilicate glass, detergent formulations and bleaching agents, semiconductors, insecticides, high-hardness and abrasive compounds, shielding and neutron absorber in nuclear reactors and many medical uses, wood preversves, flame retardants, production of flat screen displays, elemental boron fiber, and loads more. World demand is on the up.

So I would expect the demand for cartridge cantilevers to be well down the list.