Borax 1

Borax
For other uses, see Borax (disambiguation).
"Sodium borate" redirects here. For sodium perborate, see Sodium perborate.

Borax

Identifiers

CAS number [1]

1303-96-4  (decahydrate) 

ChemSpider [2]
17339255  

UNII [3]
91MBZ8H3QO  

EC number [4]
215-540-4

ChEMBL [5]
CHEMBL1076681  

ATC code [6]

S01AX07

Jmol-3D images [7]

Image 1

Properties

Molecular formula Na2B4O7·10H2O or Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O

Molar mass 381.38 (decahydrate)

201.22 (anhydrate)

Appearance white solid

Density 1.73 g/cm3 (solid)

Melting point 743 °C (1,369 °F; 1,016 K) anhydrate

Boiling point 1,575 °C (2,867 °F; 1,848 K)

Hazards
Borax 2

NFPA 704

Related compounds

Other anions Sodium aluminate; sodium gallate

Other cations Potassium tetraborate

Related compounds Boric acid, sodium perborate

Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C (77 °F), 100 kPa)

[8]
 (verify)  (what is:  / ?)

Infobox references

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 easily in water.
Borax has a wide variety of uses. It is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes. It is also used
to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an anti-fungal compound for fiberglass, as a flux in
metallurgy, neutron-capture shields for radioactive sources, a texturing agent in cooking, and as a precursor for other
boron compounds.
In artisanal gold mining, the borax method is sometimes used as a substitute for toxic mercury in the gold extraction
process. Borax was reportedly used by gold miners in parts of the Philippines in the 1900s.[9]
The term borax is used for a number of closely related minerals or chemical compounds that differ in their crystal
water content, but usually refers to the decahydrate. Commercially sold borax is usually partially dehydrated.
The word borax is from Arabic būraq (‫)ﺑﻮﺭﻕ‬, meaning "white"; which is from Middle Persian bwrk, which might
have meant potassium nitrate or another fluxing agent, now known as būrah (‫)ﺑﻮﺭﻩ‬. Another name for borax is tincal,
from Sanskrit.
Borax was first discovered in dry lake beds in Tibet and was imported via the Silk Road to Arabia. 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 in large enough quantities to
make it cheap and commonly available.[10][11]
Borax 3

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 borax (Na2B4O7)
• Borax pentahydrate (Na2B4O7·5H2O)
• Borax decahydrate (Na2B4O7·10H2O)
Borax is generally described as Na2B4O7·10H2O. However, it is better
formulated as Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O, since borax contains the
[B4O5(OH)4]2− ion. In this structure, there are two four-coordinate boron
atoms (two BO4 tetrahedra) and two three-coordinate boron atoms (two
BO3 triangles).
Borax is also easily converted to boric acid and other borates, which have
The structure of the anion [B4O5(OH)4]2− in
many applications. Its reaction with hydrochloric acid to form boric acid is:
borax
Na2B4O7·10H2O + 2 HCl → 4 H3BO3 + 2 NaCl + 5 H2O
The "decahydrate" is sufficiently stable to find use as a primary standard for acid base titrimetry.[12]
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.

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, or maybe directly
from the Arabic, along with Spanish borrax (> borraj) and Italian borrace, in the 9th century. The Arabic was (is)
‫ ﺑﻮﺭﻕ‬bauraq/būraq "natron", a word also used for borax. Traditional Arabic dictionaries say that it derives from the
verb "to glisten", which is also written ‫〈 ﺑﻮﺭﻕ‬bwrq〉, but it seems to actually derive from the Persian ‫ ﺑﻮﺭﻩ‬būrah "borax".
The word tincal /ˈtɪŋkəl/ "tinkle", or tincar /ˈtɪŋkər/ "tinker", refers to crude borax, before it's 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 ‫ ﺗﻨﮑﺎﺭ‬tinkār/tankār; thus the two forms in English. These all appear to be
related to the Sanskrit टांकण ṭānkaṇa.

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 USA and many other countries) is refined by a process of Borax "cottonball"

recrystallization.
Borax 4

Traction steam engine hauling borax, Death Valley, California,

1904.

Uses

Household products
Borax is used in various household laundry and cleaning products, including the
"20 Mule Team Borax" laundry booster and "Boraxo" powdered hand soap.
Despite its name, "Borateem" laundry bleach no longer contains borax or other
boron compounds. Borax is also present in some tooth bleaching formulas. It is
also an active ingredient in indoor and outdoor ant baits and killers.

Borax-based washing detergent.

pH buffer
Sodium borate is used in biochemical and chemical laboratories to make buffers, e.g. for gel electrophoresis of DNA,
such as TBE or the newer SB buffer or BBS (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-glycosylated hemoglobin differentially from glycosylated hemoglobin (chiefly HbA1c), which is an indicator of
long term hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus.
Borax 5

Water-softening agent
Borax alone does not have a high affinity for the hardness cations, although it has been used for that purpose. Its
chemical equation for water-softening is given below:
Ca2+ (aq) + Na2B4O7 (aq) → CaB4O7 (s)↓ + 2 Na+ (aq)
Mg2+ (aq) + Na2B4O7 (aq) → MgB4O7 (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. It 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. It allows the molten solder to flow evenly over the joint in question.
Borax is also a good flux for "pre-tinning" tungsten with zinc – making the tungsten soft-solderable.

Small-scale gold mining

Borax is replacing mercury as the preferred method for extracting gold
in small-scale mining facilities. The method is called the borax method
and is used in the Philippines.

Silly Putty
Main article: Flubber (material)
A rubbery polymer sometimes called Silly Putty, Slime, Flubber,
gluep or glurch can be made by cross linking polyvinyl alcohol with Old steam tractor and borax wagons, Death
borax. Making flubber from polyvinyl acetate based glues, such as Valley
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 in some countries, but is banned in the US. As a
consequence, certain foods, such as caviar, produced for sale in the US contain higher levels of salt to assist
preservation. Its use as a cooking ingredient is to add a firm rubbery texture to the food, or as a preservative. In
oriental cooking it is mostly used for its texturing properties. In Asia, Borax (Chinese: 硼 砂; pinyin: péng shā) or
(Chinese: 月 石; pinyin: yuè shí) was found to have been added to some Chinese foods like hand-pulled noodles
lamian and some rice noodles like Shahe fen, Kway Teow, and Chee Cheong Fun recipes.[13] 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 5–10
years.
Borax 6

Other uses
• Ingredient in enamel glazes
• Component of glass, pottery, and ceramics
• Borax can be used as an additive in ceramic slips and glazes to
improve fit on wet, greenware, and bisque.
• Fire retardant
• Anti-fungal compound for fiberglass and cellulose insulation
• Moth proofing 10% solution for wool[14]
• Pulvered for the prevention of stubborn pests (e.g. German
Rio Tinto Borax Mine Pit, Boron CA.
cockroaches) intrusion in domestic deep closets, pipe and cable
inlets, wall panelling gaps, behind furniture and any hard to reach
places where bugs would run through or gather but the ordinary pesticides could emit toxic gases and would
require replenishing
• Anti-fungal foot soak
• 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
• Treatment for thrush in horses' hooves
• Used 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 the 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.[15]
• To clean the brain cavity of a skull for mounting
• To color fires with a green tint[16]
• Was traditionally used to coat dry-cured meats such as hams to protect them from becoming fly-blown during
further storage.
• Is found in some commercial vitamin supplements
• For stopping car radiator and engine block leaks[17]
• As an important component in Slime[18]
• Used by the modern blacksmith in the process of forge welding. (Different from fabrication gas or electric style
welding.)

Toxicity
Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, according to one study, is not acutely toxic.[19] Sodium tetraborate
decahydrate was once registered as an insecticide for a brief period; however, the product was issued a "Danger"
signal word by the EPA. Registration was allowed to lapse after the initial one year registration due to the fact the
product could not be legally sold over the counter as an insecticide due to the dangers the product posed to the
general public. Danger is the highest level signal word issued by the EPA. Its LD50 (median lethal dose) score is
tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats:[20] a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death. The
lethal dose is not necessarily the same for humans.
Sufficient exposure to borax dust can cause respiratory and skin irritation. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal
distress including nausea, persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the vascular system and
Borax 7

brain include headaches and lethargy, but are less frequent. "In severe poisonings, a beefy red skin rash affecting
palms, soles, buttocks and scrotum has been described. With severe poisoning, erythematous and exfoliative rash,
unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and renal failure."[21]
Borax was added to the Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) candidate list on 16 December 2010. The SVHC
candidate list is part of the EU Regulations on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of
Chemicals 2006 (REACH), and the addition was based on the revised classification of Borax as toxic for
reproduction category 1B under the CLP Regulations. Substances and mixtures imported into the EU which contain
Borax are now required to be labelled with the warnings "May damage fertility" and "May damage the unborn
child".[22]

References
[1] http:/ / www. commonchemistry. org/ ChemicalDetail. aspx?ref=1303-96-4
[2] http:/ / www. chemspider. com/ Chemical-Structure. 17339255. html
[3] http:/ / fdasis. nlm. nih. gov/ srs/ srsdirect. jsp?regno=91MBZ8H3QO
[4] http:/ / esis. jrc. ec. europa. eu/ lib/ einecs_IS_reponse. php?genre=ECNO& entree=215-540-4
[5] https:/ / www. ebi. ac. uk/ chembldb/ index. php/ compound/ inspect/ CHEMBL1076681
[6] http:/ / www. whocc. no/ atc_ddd_index/ ?code=S01AX07
[7] http:/ / chemapps. stolaf. edu/ jmol/ jmol. php?model=%5BNa%2B%5D. %5BNa%2B%5D.
%5BO-%5DB1OB2OB%28%5BO-%5D%29OB%28O1%29O2. O. O. O. O. O. O. O. O. O. O
[8] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Special:ComparePages& rev1=455055388& page2=Borax
[9] http:/ / www. blacksmithinstitute. org/ newsletter/ march-april-filipino-gold-miner-reveals-borax-secret-pakistan-s-pollution-problem.
html#topic1
[10] "American Borax Production" Scientific American September 22, 1877
[11] Hildebrand, G. H. (1982) "Borax Pioneer: Francis Marion Smith." San Diego: Howell-North Books. p. 267 ISBN 0-8310-7148-6
[12] p. 316.
[13] Chinese Ingredients: Borax Powder, Sep 11, 2005, Chow Hound, Home Cooking (http:/ / chowhound. chow. com/ topics/ 279712).
Chowhound.chow.com. Retrieved on 2012-02-17.
[14] Sarah Jenkinson and Nick Harrison Sheep's wool insulation in action! (http:/ / www. cat. org. uk/ news/ news_release.
tmpl?command=search& db=news. db& eqSKUdatarq=10340) Centre for Alternative Technology (2000)
[15] Borax (http:/ / nature. berkeley. edu/ classes/ eps2/ / wisc/ borax. html) at UC Berkeley
[16] How To Color Fire (http:/ / chemistry. about. com/ cs/ howtos/ a/ aa052703a. htm). chemistry.about.com
[17] Radweld safety data sheet (http:/ / www. a1motorstores. co. uk/ shop-manager-info/ cosshh/ Holts_RadWeld_125ml. pdf) Retrieved
19-02-2010
[18] Step-By-Step Slime Instructions (http:/ / chemistry. about. com/ od/ chemistryactivities/ ss/ slimerecipe. htm). Chemistry.about.com.
Retrieved on 2012-02-17.
[19] Borax – toxicity, ecological toxicity and regulatory information (http:/ / pesticideinfo. org/ Detail_Chemical.
jsp?Rec_Id=PC34355#Toxicity). Pesticideinfo.org. Retrieved on 2012-02-17.
[20] Mountain Fresh Dial Bar Soap (http:/ / www2. prosarcorp. com/ files_F/ doc_0027/ 32C37. pdf). (PDF) . Retrieved on 2012-02-17.
[21] Borax – toxicity, ecological toxicity and regulatory information (http:/ / pesticideinfo. org/ Detail_Chemical. jsp?Rec_Id=PC34355).
Pesticideinfo.org. Retrieved on 2012-02-17.
[22] Member state committee draft support document for identification of disodium tetraborate, anhydrous as a substance of very high concern
because of its CMR properties (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20110725113454/ http:/ / echa. europa. eu/ doc/ candidate_list/
svhc_supdoc_disodium_tetraborate_anhydrous_publication. pdf). Adopted on 9 June 2010. Echa.europa.eu. Retrieved on 2012-02-17.
Borax 8

External links
• International Chemical Safety Card 0567 (http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0567.htm)
• International Chemical Safety Card 1229 (http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics1229.htm) (fused
borax)
• National Pollutant Inventory – Boron and compounds (http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/
profiles/15.html)
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0058.html)
• Sodium Borate in sefsc.noaa.gov (http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/HTMLdocs/SodiumBorate.htm)
Article Sources and Contributors 9

Article Sources and Contributors

Borax  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=612044768  Contributors: 069952497a, A. Parrot, ABCD, Afroozpromethe, Ahiggins, Ale jrb, Almazi, AndyXD99, Anthony
Appleyard, Anypodetos, Appeltree, Appeltree1, Aramgutang, Astatine-210, Atethnekos, Aussie Alchemist, Avia.windchild, B07, BD2412, Badagnani, Barhamd, Beetstra, Benjah-bmm27,
BerserkerBen, Betacommand, Bigx86, Bob Burkhardt, Bollyjeff, Bongwarrior, Branden12, Brockert, Broncostar, Burnte, Butko, Cacycle, Caltas, Campoftheamericas, Can't sleep, clown will eat
me, Castiel'sBestFriend, Catgut, Cb6, Centrx, Chasingsol, Chem-awb, ChemGardener, Cheungpuiho04, Chris Roy, ChrisGualtieri, Citycinja, Civbert, Civil Engineer III, Classoborax1, Corpx,
Curb Chain, Cyanidesandwich, Danim, Darceylovessammy, Dbtfz, Deflective, Deor, DerHexer, Dino, Dogsandcats101, Donner60, Dorgan, Dottyteddy, Doug, Dougher, DrBob,
DrBurningBunny, Drphilharmonic, Dureo, Dwpaul, ESkog, EamonnPKeane, Edgar181, Eequor, Egpetersen, Ellywa, EnTerr, Enzo Aquarius, Epbr123, Excirial, Exir Kamalabadi, FREEDOM94,
Fabullus, Faithlessthewonderboy, Fastilysock, Femto, FlamingSilmaril, Frank Warmerdam, Fvasconcellos, Fvw, Gavin Compton, Gbleem, Gbrl2y4, GeoWriter, Ghjgghj, Gilliam, Gogi djan,
Gogo Dodo, GorillaWarfare, Gruzd, Gunkarta, Hamnskär, Heron, HiDrNick, Hmains, Horsefeather McBean, Hydrogen Iodide, Iantresman, Ibjoe, Incompetence, Insanity Incarnate, J306, JBel,
JHunterJ, Jabasallo, Jackfork, Jaeger5432, Jaimeexup, Jamesontai, Japo, Jbin, Jj137, JohnCub, JohnOwens, JohnnyB256, JohnthePotter, Joseph Solis in Australia, Joshua, K6ka, Karelj, Karlhahn,
Keenan Pepper, Keith Edkins, Kintetsubuffalo, Kjkolb, Kkolasa, Kralizec!, Kryon562, Kuyabribri, Kwamikagami, LCP, LarryMorseDCOhio, LcawteHuggle, Leebez, Lensovet, Lethaniol, Leyo,
LorenzoB, Louisajb, LucasWilkins, Lucubrations, MK3244, Madmarigold, Magnus Manske, Markwalters79, Materialscientist, Mato, Maury Markowitz, Mav, Meyrocket, Michel Awkal,
Mixmix123007, Modeha, Modulus86, Mogism, Momoricks, Morgan Riley, Moshe Constantine Hassan Al-Silverburg, MrBell, MrJones, Muéro, Mwtoews, Nabuchadnessar, Nao1958,
NathanHurst, Nbarth, NewEnglandYankee, Nicholas Crestone, Nifky?, Nikthestunned, Nobletsunami87, Nono64, O.Koslowski, Oknazevad, Oktanyum, Old Moonraker, Paul D. Anderson,
Petergans, Pgan002, Pharaoh of the Wizards, Phmoreno, Physchim62, Pinethicket, Plantsurfer, Pne, PoccilScript, Pol098, Pollutionfighter, Puchiko, Puppy8800, Pwuappel, QueenCake, Ras,
Reengler, Retep01810, Rettetast, Rhallanger, Rifleman 82, Riventree, Robert Goodman, Robertpba, RoseMillCo, Rossami, RoyBoy, Rrh02, Russell E, Ryoga Godai, Salix alba, Sallison,
Salmonboy, Sanctu7, Scientific29, ScottSteiner, Sengkang, Shaddack, Shimmin, Shinkolobwe, SidP, SimonP, Sisiluncai, Slawojarek, Smartpersonnumber1, Smeagol 17, Smokefoot, Snezzy,
Snowdog, Softlavender, Someguy1221, Stephanie herman, Stephenb, Stevegallery, Sunray, Super-Magician, Sysy, Terrillja, The Ogre, Thingg, Tillman, Tim Starling, Timborino, Tomaxer,
Tstrobaugh, Uruiamme, V8rik, VCUchem, VMS Mosaic, Vegaswikian, Vianello, Viqsi, Vsmith, Vuong Ngan Ha, Walkerma, Wamiq, Wapcaplet, Webgeer, Wetman, Wikieditor06,
Willking1979, Wimvandorst, Wolfkeeper, Wombatcat, Woollyshepherd, X!, Xiphosurus, Yjwong, Zaheen, Zeimusu, Zenyu, ZxxZxxZ, ‫מלמד כץ‬, ‫ﺣﺴﻦ ﻋﻠﻲ ﺍﻟﺒﻂ‬, ‫ﻣﺎﻧﻲ‬, Ὁ οἶστρος, 490 anonymous
edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Borax crystals.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Borax_crystals.jpg  License: Public domain  Contributors: Aram Dulyan (User:Aramgutang)
File:Borax-unit-cell-3D-balls.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Borax-unit-cell-3D-balls.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Ben Mills
File:Yes check.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Yes_check.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Anomie
File:X mark.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:X_mark.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Gmaxwell
File:Tetraborate-xtal-3D-balls.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tetraborate-xtal-3D-balls.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Ben Mills
File:Borax ball.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Borax_ball.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Andre Engels, Julo
File:Hauling Borax, Death Valley, 1904.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hauling_Borax,_Death_Valley,_1904.jpg  License: Creative Commons
Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: The original photographer is unknown. Uploaded by erjkprunczyk
File:Borax.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Borax.jpg  License: Creative Commons Zero  Contributors: Wdaloz
File:Borax wagons.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Borax_wagons.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Grant, George A. (photographer)
File:Boron mine pit.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Boron_mine_pit.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: Marcin Wichary

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