Douglas Stevenson, age 13. of Camden, N.J., for his question:

WHAT IS BORAZON?

Borazon is an artificially produced crystal that has the hardness of a diamond. It may be used in industry as an abrasive for shaping the hardest materials.

Borazon can withstand temperatures of more 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit, while diamonds burn at 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. Borazon is the only substance that can scratch a diamond. Diamonds can also scratch Borazon.

Equal numbers of atoms of the elements boron and nitrogen are used to make Borazon. To make the material, chemists heat boron and nitrogen at 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit, under a pressure of 1 million pounds per square inch.

Borazon was first made in 1957 by a physical chemist named Robert Wentorf Jr. who was employed in the General Electric Company's research laboratory.