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CAS NO: 1330-43-4 / 1303-96-4 / 71377-02-1
EC No: 615-285-2 / 603-411-9
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid.
Powdered borax is white, consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve in water.
A number of closely related minerals or chemical compounds that differ in their crystal water content are referred to as borax, and the word is usually used to refer to the octahydrate.
Commercially sold borax is partially dehydrated.
Borax is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes.
Borax is used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an anti-fungal compound, in the manufacture of fiberglass, as a flux in metallurgy, neutron-capture shields for radioactive sources, a texturing agent in cooking, as a cross-linking agent in Slime, as an alkali in photographic developers, and as a precursor for other boron compounds.
Borax is also useful as an insecticide along with boric acid.
In artisanal gold mining, borax is sometimes used as part of a process known as the borax method (as a flux) meant to eliminate the need for toxic mercury in the gold extraction process, although it cannot directly replace mercury.
Borax was reportedly used by gold miners in parts of the Philippines in the 1900s.
Borax was first discovered in dry lake beds in Tibet and was imported via the Silk Road to the Arabian Peninsula in the 8th century AD.
Borax first came into common use in the late 19th century when Francis Marion Smith's Pacific Coast Borax Company began to market and popularize a large variety of applications under the 20 Mule Team Borax trademark, named for the method by which borax was originally hauled out of the California and Nevada deserts.
Chemistry
The term borax is often used for a number of closely related minerals or chemical compounds that differ in their crystal water content:
anhydrous sodium tetraborate, Na2B4O7
sodium tetraborate pentahydrate, Na2B4O7·5H2O
sodium tetraborate decahydrate, Na2B4O7·10H2O or equivalently the octahydrate, Na2B4O5(OH)4·8H2O
From the chemical perspective, borax contains the [B4O5(OH)4]2− ion.
In this structure, there are two four-coordinate boron centers and two three-coordinate boron centers.
Reactions
Borax is also easily converted to boric acid and other borates, which have many applications.
Its reaction with hydrochloric acid to form boric acid is:
Na2B4O7·10H2O + 2 HCl → 4 H3BO3 + 2 NaCl + 5H2O
The "decahydrate" is sufficiently stable to find use as a primary standard for acid base titrimetry.
When borax is added to a flame, it produces a yellow-green color.
Borax is not used for this purpose in fireworks due to the overwhelming yellow color of sodium.
Boric acid is used to color methanol flames a transparent green.
Borax is very soluble in ethylene glycol, moderately soluble in diethylene glycol and methanol, slightly soluble in acetone.
Borax is poorly soluble in cold water, but its solubility increases significantly with temperature.
Etymology
The English word borax is Latinized: the Middle English form was boras, from Old French boras, bourras. That may have been from medieval Latin baurach (another English spelling), borac(-/um/em), borax, along with Spanish borrax (> borraj) and Italian borrace, in the 9th century.
Another name for borax is tincal, from Sanskrit.
The word tincal /ˈtɪŋkəl/ "tinkle", or tincar /ˈtɪŋkər/ "tinker", refers to crude borax, before it is purified, as mined from lake deposits in Tibet, Persia, and other parts of Asia. The word was adopted in the 17th century from Malay tingkal and from Urdu/Persian/Arabic تنکار tinkār/tankār; thus the two forms in English. These all appear to be related to the Sanskrit टांकण ṭānkaṇa.[17][18]
Natural sources
Borax occurs naturally in evaporite deposits produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes.
The most commercially important deposits are found in: Turkey; Boron, California; and Searles Lake, California.
Also, borax has been found at many other locations in the Southwestern United States, the Atacama desert in Chile, newly discovered deposits in Bolivia, and in Tibet and Romania.
Borax can also be produced synthetically from other boron compounds.
Naturally occurring borax (known by the trade name Rasorite–46 in the United States and many other countries) is refined by a process of recrystallization
Uses:
Household products
Borax is used in various household laundry and cleaning products, including the "20 Mule Team Borax" laundry booster, "Boraxo" powdered hand soap, and some tooth bleaching formulas.
pH buffer
Borate ions (commonly supplied as boric acid) are used in biochemical and chemical laboratories to make buffers, e.g. for polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of DNA and RNA, such as TBE buffer (borate buffered tris-hydroxymethylaminomethonium) or the newer SB buffer or BBS buffer (borate buffered saline) in coating procedures.
Borate buffers (usually at pH 8) are also used as preferential equilibration solution in dimethyl pimelimidate (DMP) based crosslinking reactions.
Co-complexing agent
Borax as a source of borate has been used to take advantage of the co-complexing ability of borate with other agents in water to form complex ions with various substances.
Borate and a suitable polymer bed are used to chromatograph non-glycated hemoglobin differentially from glycated hemoglobin (chiefly HbA1c), which is an indicator of long-term hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus.
Water-softening agent
Borax alone does not have a high affinity for the hardness cations, although it has been used for water-softening. Its chemical equation for water-softening is given below:
Ca2+ (aq) + Na2B4O7 (aq) → Ca B4O7 (s)↓ + 2 Na+ (aq)
Mg2+ (aq) + Na2B4O7 (aq) → Mg B4O7 (s)↓ + 2 Na+ (aq)
The sodium ions introduced do not make water ‘hard’. This method is suitable for removing both temporary and permanent types of hardness.
Flux
A mixture of borax and ammonium chloride is used as a flux when welding iron and steel.
Borax lowers the melting point of the unwanted iron oxide (scale), allowing it to run off.
Borax is also used mixed with water as a flux when soldering jewelry metals such as gold or silver, where it allows the molten solder to wet the metal and flow evenly into the joint.
Borax is also a good flux for "pre-tinning" tungsten with zinc — making the tungsten soft-solderable.
Borax is often used as a flux for forge welding
Small-scale gold mining
Borax is replacing mercury as the preferred method for extracting gold in small-scale mining facilities.
This is called the borax method and is used in the Philippines.
Flubber
Main article: Flubber (material)
A rubbery polymer sometimes called Slime, Flubber, 'gluep' or 'glurch' (or erroneously called Silly Putty, which is based on silicone polymers), can be made by cross-linking polyvinyl alcohol with borax.
Making flubber from polyvinyl acetate-based glues, such as Elmer's Glue, and borax is a common elementary-science demonstration.
Food additive
Borax, given the E number E285, is used as a food additive, but is banned in some countries, such as the United States, China, and Thailand.
As a consequence, certain foods, such as caviar, produced for sale in the United States contain higher levels of salt to assist preservation.
In addition to its use as a preservative, borax imparts a firm, rubbery texture to food.
In China, borax (Chinese: 硼砂; pinyin: péng shā or Chinese: 月石; pinyin: yuè shí) has been found in foods including wheat and rice noodles named lamian (Chinese: 拉面; pinyin: lāmiàn), shahe fen (Chinese: 沙河粉; pinyin: shāhéfěn), char kway teow (Chinese: 粿條; pinyin: guǒ tiáo), and chee cheong fun (Chinese: 肠粉; pinyin: chángfěn)
In Indonesia, it is a common, but forbidden, additive to such foods as noodles, bakso (meatballs), and steamed rice.
The country's Directorate of Consumer Protection warns of the risk of liver cancer with high consumption over a period of five to ten years.
Other uses
Ingredient in enamel glazes
Component of glass, pottery, and ceramics
Used as an additive in ceramic slips and glazes to improve fit on wet, greenware, and bisque
Fire retardant
Anti-fungal compound for cellulose insulation
Moth proofing 10% solution for wool
Pulverized for the prevention of stubborn pests (e.g. German cockroaches) in closets, pipe and cable inlets, wall panelling gaps, and inaccessible locations where ordinary pesticides are undesirable
Precursor for sodium perborate monohydrate that is used in detergents, as well as for boric acid and other borates
Tackifier ingredient in casein, starch and dextrin based adhesives
Precursor for boric acid, a tackifier ingredient in polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol based adhesives
Fluoride detoxification
To make indelible ink for dip pens by dissolving shellac into heated borax
Curing agent for snake skins
Curing agent for salmon eggs, for use in sport fishing for salmon
Swimming pool buffering agent to control pH
Neutron absorber, used in nuclear reactors and spent fuel pools to control reactivity and to shut down a nuclear chain reaction
As a micronutrient fertilizer to correct boron-deficient soils.
Preservative in taxidermy
To color fires with a green tint
Was traditionally used to coat dry-cured meats such as hams to improve the appearance and discourage flies.
Used by blacksmiths in forge welding[
Used as a woodworm treatment (diluted in water)
What Is Borax?
Borax is a powdery white substance, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate.
It’s widely used as a household cleaner and a booster for laundry detergent.
It’s a combination of boron, sodium, and oxygen.
Borax is often found in dry lake beds in places like California’s Death Valley, where the water evaporated and left behind deposits of minerals.
Boric acid is made from the same chemical compound as borax and even looks like it.
But while borax is commonly used in cleaning, boric acid is mainly used as a pesticide.
Boric acid kills insects by targeting their stomachs and nervous systems.
Both borax and boric acid in loose powder form can be harmful if swallowed, particularly for children. They can also irritate your skin.
Household Uses of Borax
The best-known use for borax is as a cleaner, but you can find the ingredient in many other household products, including:
Specialty toothpastes and mouthwashes
Cosmetics such as lotions, skin creams, moisturizers, sunscreen, and acne care products
Paint and ceramic glaze
Herbicides
Borax is also an ingredient for making putty-like “slime” for kids.
Medical Research
Scientists have been studying whether the compounds in borax might help your body fight conditions like arthritis or osteoporosis, but more research is needed to know if or how they might work.
How to Use Borax Safely
If you’re going to use borax at home, there are precautions you can take to make sure you do so safely:
Wear gloves.
Use borax in a well-ventilated area.
Change your clothes if borax touches it. Remove contaminated clothing.
Wash your hands well thoroughly before eating, drinking, putting on makeup, applying cosmetics or using the toilet after using borax.
If borax powder gets in your eyes or on your skin.
In case of contact, flush your skin and eyes (for at least 15 minutes) with water for at least 15 minutes.
Begin rescue breathing in case of accidental inhalation.
Get medical help if needed, in case of exposure.
Call Poison Control and other emergency services, if needed.
Borax, a naturally occurring mineral, has been an ingredient in cleaning products for decades.
Borax is not safe to ingest.
Some people also use it to make children’s toys, such as homemade slime.
Borax is the common name for the chemical sodium tetraborate.
Borax is a salt of boric acid.
Powdered borax consists of soft white crystals that dissolve in water.
Many people know borax as a cleaning product.
However, it has many other uses, including:
treating mold and mildew
killing insects
softening hard water
neutralizing odors
acting as a fire retardant
Also, many household products contain borax, including soaps and detergents.
Manufacturers sometimes use borax to prevent or slow bacterial growth in cosmetic products, such as shampoo, makeups, and body soaps. In some cosmetics, manufacturers use borax as an emulsifier to stop products’ ingredients from separating.
Borax and children
Children should avoid contact with borax and products that contain borax.
In previous years, people used borax to make slime for children to play with.
However, children are particularly at risk from borax toxicity.
According to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, as little as 5 grams of borax can be harmful and potentially fatal if a child ingests it.
Some potential risks if a child ingests borax include:
diarrhea
shock
vomiting
death
People with children should avoid using pesticides, cosmetics, or other products containing borax.
For example, if a child touches a pesticide, they may accidentally ‘ingest’ it into their bodies through contact with their hands.
Instead, a person should look for products with ingredients that are nontoxic to children.
Borax and pets
Pets are also at risk of accidental exposure and consumption of borax.
People should avoid using pesticides that contain borax if they have pets that will wander through the area.
In addition, a person should store products containing borax away from where pets can access them.
Precautions
For those in regular contact with products that contain borax, some safety tips include:
wearing rubber gloves when handling cleaning products
washing away any cleaning product with water
avoiding contact with nose, mouth, and eyes
covering any open wounds before handling a borax product
keeping products out of reach of children or pets
making homemade doughs and slimes for children without borax
avoiding breathing in the powder
washing skin that comes in contact with the product
Borax, also called sodium tetraborate, is a powdery white mineral that has been used as a cleaning product for several decades.
Borax has many uses:
Borax helps get rid of stains, mold, and mildew around the house.
Borax can kill insects such as ants.
It’s used in laundry detergents and household cleansers to help whiten and get rid of dirt.
Borax can neutralize odors and soften hard water.
In cosmetic products, borax is sometimes used as an emulsifier, buffering agent, or preservative for moisturizing products, creams, shampoos, gels, lotions, bath bombs, scrubs, and bath salts.
Borax is also an ingredient combined with glue and water to make “slime,” a gooey material that many kids enjoy playing with.
How to safely use borax
Generally, borax has been found as safe to use as a cleaning product if you take the appropriate precautions. Using borax safely involves minimizing your routes of exposure.
Here’s safety tips to follow:
Do not use cosmetic products that contain borax.
Avoid inhaling borax powder by always keeping it a safe distance from your mouth.
Use gloves when using borax as a cleaning agent around the house.
Fully rinse the area you’re cleaning with water after washing with borax.
Wash your hands with soap after using borax if it gets on your skin.
Make sure clothes washed with borax are fully rinsed before drying and wearing them.
Never leave borax in the reach of children, whether it’s in a box or used around the house. Don’t use borax to make slime with kids.
Avoid using borax and boric acid products around pets. This includes avoiding use of borax as a pesticide on the ground, where pets may be commonly exposed.
Keep borax away from your eyes, nose, and mouth to minimize your risks of exposure when using as a cleaning product.
Cover any open wounds on your hands when using borax. Borax is more easily absorbed through open wounds on the skin, so keeping them covered can reduce your risk of exposure.
What is Borax?
The chemical name of Borax is Sodium Tetraborate.
The borate at the end there signifies it’s a boron compound.
All borates can be considered derivatives of boric acid.
Borax occurs naturally, being produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes.
Borax’s Historical Uses
Sodium Sesquicarbonate is included on the INCI list of cosmetic ingredients.
It’s well known for its water softening properties.
And cosmetically it has traditionally been used in bath salts and bath bombs, hair care products, and deodorants.
Outside of the cosmetics sphere, it’s also heavily used.
From swimming pools to in water treatment plants, and as a phosphate-free replacement for cleaning.
Apparently, in Japan, people are going crazy for Sodium Sesquicarbonate for it’s cleaning properties. Perhaps they read Moral Fibres?!
Surprisingly, it’s also used in food.
Sodium Sesquicarbonate, is, in small amounts, FDA approved as a food additive in the US.
Here it’s used as an acidity regulator, anti-caking agent, and as a raising agent.
Interestingly, it’s not food approved in the EU or Australia.
Borax is a natural mineral with a chemical formula Na2B4O7 • 10H2O.
Borax also is known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate.
Borax is one of the most important boron compounds.
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name for borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate.
Did You Know?
The common usage of the term "borax" refers to a group of related compounds, distinguished by their water content:
Anhydrous borax or sodium tetraborate (Na2B4O7)
Borax pentahydrate (Na2B4O7·5H2O)
Borax decahydrate (Na2B4O7·10H2O)
Borax Versus Boric Acid
Borax and boric acid are two related boron compounds.
The natural mineral, mined from the ground or collected from evaporated deposits, is called borax.
When borax is processed, the purified chemical that results is boric acid (H3BO3).
Borax is a salt of boric acid.
While there are some differences between the compounds, either version of the chemical will work for pest control or slime.
Borax Uses
Borax has many uses on its own, plus it is an ingredient in other products. Here are some uses of borax powder and pure borax in water:
Insect killer, particularly in roach killing products and as moth-preventative (ten percent solution on wool)
Fungicide
Herbicide
Desiccant
Laundry booster
Household cleaner
Water softening agent
Food additive as a preservative (banned in some countries)
Borax is an ingredient in several other products, including:
Buffer solutions
Flame retardants
Teeth bleaching products
Glass, ceramics, and pottery
Enamel glazes
A precursor for boric acid
Science projects such as green-colored fire, slime, and borax crystals
Analytical chemistry borax bead test
Flux for welding iron and steel
What is borax
Borax is one of the most important boron compounds, with the chemical formula Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O. However, the common usage of the term “borax” may refer to various very similar compounds, distinguished by their water content, such as:
Anhydrous borax or sodium tetraborate (Na2B4O7)
Borax pentahydrate (Na2B4O7·5H2O)
Borax decahydrate (Na2B4O7·10H2O)
Borax is used in all sorts of cleaning recipes, where it’s added for the compound’s stain-fighting and grease-cutting abilities.
You’ll find borax present in various products and industries, not only cleaning supplies.
In some gold mining operations, it replaces mercury, for instance.
Borax is also used in food as a preservative, although it is banned for this purpose in the United States.
Chemical Properties
Borax, N8zB407.lOH20. also known as sodium tetraborate and sodium pyrobomte, is a white crystalline powder that melts at 120°C (248 °F).
Borax in its natural impure form is also known as borax, Sodium borate is used in glass and ceramic enamel mixes,detergents, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and photograph.
Borax is a noncombustible (an inherent fire retardant), bluish-gray or green, odorless crystalline powder or granules.
Uses:
Pharmaceutic aid (alkalizing agent).
Borax (Na2B4O7) is an additive in laundry products such as soaps and water-softening compounds.
Also used for cosmetics, body powders, and the manufacture of paper and leather.
Borax is an environmentally safe natural herbicide and insecticide.
Boraxis a preservative and emulsifier with astringent and anti-septic properties.
Borax is also used as a pH adjuster.
Sodium borate is the sodium salt of boric acid. Borax may cause skin dryness and irritation.
Production Methods
Anhydrous borax is produced from borax through high temperature fusion.
On cooling, the clear, glass-like material is ground into fine white granules.
Because of its higher bulk density, it is preferred where storage space is limited.
Borax is used principally in the manufacture of glass, ceramics, and enamel.
Pale yellow solid or thick liquid with a faint odor of detergent.
Mixes with water.
Soap bubbles may be produced.
Purification Methods
Most of the water of hydration is removed from the decahydrate (see below) by evacuation at 25o for three days, followed by heating to 100o and evacuation with a high-speed diffusion pump.
The dried sample is then heated gradually to fusion (above 966o), allowed to cool gradually to 200o, then tranferred to a desiccator containing P2O5
Description:
Sodium tetraborate decahydrate also known as Borax, sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate is a naturally occurring compound.
Borax is mostly used as a cleaning aid especially for laundry (softening the water).
As a cleaning aid, borax is also used as dishwasher detergent, as floor and wall cleaner, and to clean outdoor furniture, toilet, porcelain sinks, stains from stainless steel.
Borax can be used for parasite control to keep ants, water bugs, and cockroaches away and help dogs with mange and people with a variety of parasite problems including lice and mites.
Due to its alkalinity and antifungal properties, Borax is used in hair care products to heal chronic and embarrassing scalp conditions.
Borax is also used as a remedy for health problems (arthritis, osteoporosis, bone spurs, calcium deposits, lupus, autoimmune disease, hormone imbalances, fungus, candida, ringworm, tinea versicolor, insomnia, rough skin).
Furthermore, Borax is applied as a fire retardant, as a flux in metallurgy, as a precursor for other boron compounds, as anti-fungal compound for fiberglass and cellulose insulation, to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, and to make indelible ink for dip pens by dissolving shellac into heated borax.
Chemical Properties
White cryst. powder
Borax is a noncombustible (an inherent fire retardant), bluish-gray or green, odorless crystalline powder or granules.
Sodium borate occurs as white, hard crystals, granules, or crystalline powder. Borax is odorless and efflorescent.
Physical properties
White monoclinic crystal; density 1.73 g/cm3; decomposes at 75°C; soluble in water; the vapor pressure of the pure compound 1.6 torr at 20°C and that of a saturated solution 130 torr at 58°C; the pH of a 1% aqueous solution 9.24 (the pH is nearly independent of concentration); readily dissolves in alcohols.
Occurrence
Borax decahydrate occurs in nature as mineral, borax (tincal).
Borax is one of the most common sodium borate ores. The compound has several industrial applications.
The refined material is mostly used in household cleaning products.
Borax is used to make pyrex and other borosilicate glasses.
Borax is added to fertilizers in small quantities as a source of boron, as a trace nutrient for plants.
High purity grade borax is used in cosmetics, toilet products and electrolytic capacitors.
Borax also is used in fire retardants, adhesives and herbicides.
Uses:
A natural, colorless salt crystal found in some lake beds.
It is soluble in water and glycerin but not in alcohol.
When mixed with water, it produces a slight alkaline reaction.
Its use in photography was principally as a pH modifier in gold toning baths, but it was also used as a restrainer in pyrogallic acid developers and as an accelerator in hydroquinone developers.
metabolite
Buffers; complexing or masking agent.
Soldering metals; manufacture of glazes and enamels; tanning; in the production of adhesives and in anticorrosion systems; in cleaning Compounds; artificially aging wood; as preservative, either alone or with other antiseptics against wood fungus; fireproofing fabrics and wood; curing and preserving skins; in cockroach control. Pharmaceutic aid (alkalizer).
Production Methods
Sodium borate can be prepared from minerals such as borosodium calcite, pandermite, or tinkal; these are natural sodium or calcium borates.
Treatment of the mineral with sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogencarbonate yields the sodium borate decahydrate.
In the USA, brine from salt lakes is also an important source of sodium borate.
Pharmaceutical Applications
Borax is used in pharmaceutical applications similarly to boric acid (see Boric Acid).
It has been used externally as a mild astringent and as an emulsifying agent in creams.
It has also been used in lozenges, mouthwashes, otic preparations (0.3% w/v), and ophthalmic solutions (0.03–1.0% w/v). Sodium borate has additionally been investigated in the prevention of crystal formation in freeze-dried solutions.
Preparations of sodium borate in honey have historically been used as paints for the throat, tongue, and mouth, but such use is now inadvisable because of concerns about toxicity in such applications. Sodium borate is also used in cosmetics such as moisturizers, deodorants, and shampoos.
Agricultural Uses
Borate is a salt of boric acid (H3BO3).
There are two known types of borates - orthoborate and metaborate which are used as fertilizers.
Besides these, polyborates, boric acid, calcium polyborate (colemanite), sodium tetraborate, solubor and complex borosilicate (boron frits) are also used as fertilizers to reduce boron deficiency.
Borate minerals like kernite and tincal are the main sources of borax.
Borax, a source of boron, is the salt of boric acid, sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate.
Borax, otherwise called disodium tetraborate decahydrate(Na2B4O7·10H2O)is a water-soluble white compound.
It occurs as a mineral in some alkaline salt deposits. The main sources of borax are borate minerals, kernite(Na2B4·4H2O),a sorite and heal(Na2B4O7·10H2O)which are purified by recrystallization.
On treatment with an acid, borax gives boric acid which is absorbed as boron by plants.
Borax contains 10.5 to 11.4% boron or 36.5% boric oxide (B2O3).
Borax is a supplier of micronutrient boron for plants and is applied as such or as a foliar spray. Solubor is preferred to borax for its greater solubility and because it causes minimum changes in the crystallization temperature.
Borax is a very important substance in other industries too.
It is used as a metallurgical flux in glass and ceramic industries, a buffer, a mild alkaline antiseptic and a source of boron compounds.
Solubor is a type of borate containing 20.3% boron.
Borax is chemically a polyborate, similar to borax, and is represented as Na2B2O7?5H2O +Na2B10O16?10H2O. is a finely-ground, white product specially designed for foliar, liquid or dust applications, to correct boron deficiency.
Incompatibilities
Dissolves in water forming a basic solution.
Boron dust may form explosive mixture with air.
Contact with strong oxidizers may be violent.
Boron is incompatible with ammonia, bromine tetrafluoride, cesium carbide, chlorine, fluorine, interhalogens, iodic acid, lead dioxide, nitric acid, nitric oxide, nitrosyl fluoride, nitrous oxide, potassium nitrite, rubidium carbide, silver fluoride.
Use and Manufacturing
Household & Commercial/Institutional Products
• Auto Products
• Commercial / Institutional
• Home Maintenance
• Inside the Home
• Landscaping/Yard
• Personal Care
• Pesticides
• Pet Care
Uses:
Long been used as a mild antiseptic fungicide and as a herbicide ...
Total control of vegetation on non-crop land, such as paths, giving long-term control.
Also used in insect baits for food stores to control Formicidae.
Soldering metals; manufacture of glazes and enamels; tanning; in cleaning compounds; artificially aging wood; as preservative, either alone or with other antiseptics against wood fungus; fireproofing fabrics and wood; curing and preserving skins; in cockroach control. In buffers; as a complexing or masking agent in analytical chemistry.
Used in ant poisons, for fly control around refuse and manure piles, as a larvicide, in manufacture of glazes, enamels, cleaning compounds, and in soldering metals
Industry Uses
Laboratory chemicals
Processing aids, not otherwise listed
Consumer Uses
Agricultural products (non-pesticidal)
Laboratory Use
Methods of Manufacturing
Processing of sodium borate ores by crushing, heating, mechanical separation, selective crystallization, and finally flotation of borax decahydrate or pentahydrate from the resultant concentrated borax liquor
Disodium tetraborate (borax) containing 5 or 10 molecules of water is produced mainly from sodium-containing borate ores.
The mined ore is crushed and ground before dissolution in a hot recycled aqueous solution containing some borax.
Insoluble gangue (clay particles) present in the hot slurry is separated off to produce a clear concentrated borax solution.
Evaporative cooling of this solution to selected temperatures results in crystallization of the desired products, which are then separated from the residual liquor and dried.
Fractional crystallization from Searles Lake brine, solution of kernite ore followed by crystallization.
Also from colemanite, natural borax, uxelite, and other borates.
Borax is mainly used for cleaning purposes and as a pesticide. When used as a pesticide, it is effective against the following:
Insects
Spiders
Mites
Algae
Molds
Fungi
Weeds
Household applications:
Household applications of borax include:
Specialty toothpaste and mouthwash
Cosmetics such as lotions, skin creams, moisturizer, sunscreen, and acne care products
Paint and ceramic glaze
Herbicides (a substance that is used to destroy unwanted plants)
Soaps and detergents
Medical applications:
Borax is known to have mild antiseptic properties.
Hence, it has been mainly used in
Eyewash.
Mouthwash.
Burn dressings.
Diaper rash powder.
However, scientists no longer recommend adding borax for human use owing to the adverse effects of borax such as irritation and hormone imbalances.
Scientists have been studying whether the compounds in borax might help your body fight conditions such as
Arthritis.
Osteoporosis.
However, more research is required to know about its effectiveness.
Other applications of borax include:
Plant fertilizers
Laundry detergents
Treating mold and mildew
Softening hard water
Neutralizing odors
Acting as a fire retardant
Borax is used in various agricultural and nonagricultural sites such as:
Residential
Commercial
Medical
Veterinary
Industrial
Forestry
Food handling area
What is borax?
Borax is a white, powdery mineral salt of boric acid.
Other names of borax include:
Sodium borate
Sodium tetraborate
Disodium tetraborate
Borax is a combination of boron sodium and oxygen.
It is mainly found in dry lake beds in places such as California’s Death Valley.
Borax is mainly used in household cleaning agents.
In cosmetics, borax may be used to prevent or restrict bacterial growth or as an emulsifier to stop product ingredients from separating.
However, borax use is prohibited in children and people with damaged skin.
SYNONYMS:
Anhydrous borax
anhydrousborax
Antipyoninum
B4-Na2-O7
borates,tetra,sodiumsalt,anhydrous
borates,tetra,sodiumsalts(anhydrous)
borates,tetra,sodiumsalts(pentahydrate)
borax(anhydrous)
borax,dehydrated
di-Sodium tetraborate anhydrous 99.99 Suprapur
di-Sodium tetraborate anhydrous for analysis
ZIRCONYL NITRATE SOLUTION PHE
Borax, Sodium Borate
boricacid(h2b4o7),disodiumsalt
boricacid(h2b4o7),sodiumsalt
Dehybor
di-Sodiumtetraborate,anhydrou
FB 48
fr28
fusedsodiumborate
Na2B4O7
rasorite65
Sodium borate anhydrous
BORIC ACID DISODIUM SALT
BUFFER 4.01
BUFFER SOLUTION SODIUM TETRABORATE
Buffer solution pH 9.2
BUFFER SOLUTION
BUFFER/INDICATOR SOLUTION
BUFFER PH 10.01
DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE
DEHYBOR(R)
FUSED BORAX
GLASS BORATE
SPECTROMELT(R) B 10
SODIUM BORATE
SODIUM BIBORATE
SODIUM TETRABORATE
PH=9.2
Sodium tetraborate, anhydrous, for analysis, 99.5%
SODIUM TETRABORATE, ANHYDROUS REAGENT
Sodiumtetraborate,anhydrous(99.999%-B)(50ppmK)PURATREM
Sodiumtetraborate,anhydrous,99+%
sodium tetraborate, anhydrous, puratronic
SODIUMBORATE,TECHNICAL
ANYHYDROUSSODIUMTETRABORATE
SodiuM tetraborate, 98%, for analysis, anhydrous
Disodium tetraborate,anhydrous
BORAX BUFFER SOLUTION
SODIUM TETRABORATE ANHYDROUS, DECOMPOSER
SODIUM TETRABORATE, 99.999%
SODIUM TETRABORATE GRANULATED, DRY
BoraxAnhydrous98.5%
DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE ANHYDROUS SUPRAPUR
DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE ANHYDROUS GR FOR A
SPECTROMELT B 10 DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE
Borax Anhydrous puriss. p.a., anhydrous, >=98.0% (T)
SodiuM tetraborate 99%
SWABS 10ML PEPTON FYSIOLOG. SALINE SOL.
SODIUM TETRABORATE DECAHYDRATE BIOXT
Borax,Sodium tetraborate,decahydrate,sodium borate, decahydrate,antipyonin,borascu
Boric acid sodium decahydrate
Sodium tetraborate decahydrateACS reagent, 99.5-105.0% (Titration)
antipyonin
antipyonin[qr]
borascu
borates,tetra,sodiumsalt,decahydrate
borates,tetra,sodiumsalts(decahydrat
borax(b4na2o7.10h2o)
borax(na2(b4o7).10h2o)
boricacid(h2b4o7),disodiumsalt,decahydrate
boricin
boronsodiumoxide(b4na2o7),decahydrate
bura
caswellnumber109
di-Sodiumtetraborate,decahydr
epapesticidecode011102
gerstleyborate
gertleyborate
jaikin
jaikin[qr]
neobor
neobor[qr]
polybor[qr]
sodiumbiborate[qr]
sodiumborate[qr]
sodiumboratedecahydrate(na2b4o7.10h2o)
sodiumboratedecahydrate[qr]
sodiumperoxoborate,anhydrous
sodiumpyroborate
sodiumpyroborate[qr]
sodiumpyroboratedecahydrate
sodiumpyroboratedecahydrate[qr]
BORAX 10 MOL
BORAX DECAHYDRATE
BORAX GLASS
BORAX TETRA
DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE 10-HYDRATE
DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE DECAHYDRATE
FUSED BORAX
Sodium tetraborate decahydrate, for analysis, 99.5%
SODIUM TETRABORATE, DECAHYDRATE BIO-REFINED
SODIUM TETRABORATE, DECAHYDRATE REAGENT (ACS)
Sodiumtetraboratedecahydrate,99.5+%(ACS)
borax, sodium borate (tetra)
sodium borate (tetra)
Sodium tetraborate decahydrate, for analysis ACS, 99.5+%
di-Sodium tetraborate decahydrate, extra pure, BP, NF
SODIUM BORATE, ACS
Sodium tetraborate d
SodiuM tetraborate decahydrate, 99.5+%, ACS reagent
SodiuM tetraborate decahydrate, for analysis ACS, 99.5+% 25GR
SodiuM tetraborate decahydrate, for analysis, 99.5% 1KG
SodiuM Borate, Decahydrate, Reagent, ACS
DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE DECAHYDRATE GR ACS
DI-SODIUM TETRABORATE DECAHYDRATE CERTIF
