Boron trichloride is a starting material for the production of elemental boron. It is also used in the refining of aluminium,magnesium, zinc, and copper alloys to remove nitrides, carbides, and oxides from molten metal. It has been used as a soldering flux for alloys of aluminium, iron, zinc, tungsten, and monel. Aluminum castings can be improved by treating the melt with boron trichloride vapors. In the manufacture of electrical resistors, a uniform and lasting adhesive carbon film can be put over aceramic base using BCl3. It has been used in the field of high energy fuels and rocket propellants as a source of boron to raise BTU value. BCl3 is also used in plasma etching in semiconductor manufacturing. This gas etches metal oxides by formation of a volatile BOClx compounds.

BCl3 is used as a reagent in the synthesis of organic compounds. Like the corresponding bromide, it cleaves C-O bonds in ethers.