The first systematic study of the BaO-B 2 O 3 system and barium orthoborate Ba 3 B 2 O 6 (3BaOÁB 2 O 3 ) was reported in 1949. Thereafter, the system was repeatedly refined but the structure of Ba 3 B 2 O 6 compound has not been adequately studied yet. In our study we have, for the first time, obtained the crystalline samples of Ba 3 B 2 O 6 . The solved structure (Pbam, a = 13.5923(4) A, b = 13.6702 The studies of BaO-B 2 O 3 system are complicated by the high reactivity and hygroscopicity of melts. High viscosity of the melts and their tendency for undercooling, glass formation and appearance of metastable equilibriums present a particular problem.Barium oxide BaO melts at 1923°C. The compound crystallizes in a cubic crystal system with the rock salt structure. Boric oxide B 2 O 3 is extremely hydroscopic and is very difficult to crystallize, its melting temperature is 450°C. The structures of two polymorphous modifications of boric oxideÀB 2 O 3 (I) (P3 1 21) 4 and B 2 O 3 (II) (Ccm2 1 ) 5 Àwere studied with adequate accuracy.For the first time, the BaO-B 2 O 3 system was systematically studied by Levin & McMurdie (1949) 6 with the use of annealing and quenching procedures, X-ray powder diffraction and thermal analysis. The middle part of the phase diagram was repeatedly studied by H€ ubner (1969). 8 In addition to the above-listed compounds, three new compounds were established: 2BaOÁ5B 2 O 3 , "2BaOÁB 2 O 3 " and 4BaOÁB 2 O 3 . It should be emphasized that the right stoichiometry assigned to "2BaOÁB 2 O 3 " is 2.5BaOÁB 2 O 3 , which was convincingly shown in.