Borax and Boric Acid

Inorganic Esters. Boric acid and borax form cycHc esters with poly(vinyl alcohol) (85—100). The reaction is markedly sensitive to pH, boric acid concentration, and the cation-to-boron ratio. An insoluble gel is formed at pH above 4.5—5.0 ... 

The handling of boric acid and borax is generally not considered dangerous. There are no fire risks associated with the storage or use of inorganic borates, and they are not explosive. 

Health and Safety. Littie toxicological data are available on borates other than boric acid and borax. Most water-soluble borates have the same toxicological effects as borax when adjusted to account for differences ia 2 3 content. 

Kernite (Na2[B40s(0H)2] 3 H2O = Na20 2 B2O3 4 H2O) is also an important industrial mineral that is mainly used to produce refined borates, boric acid and borax. The polymeric borate structure of the kernite is shown in Fig. 7b above. Upon hydration, kernite converts to the monomeric borate tincal, which dissolves more readily. Thus, kernite may be hydrated to facilitate processing into borax. Although primarily a raw material for the manufacture of refined borates, concentrates of this mineral have been used as industrial products. 

Considerations for the acceptability of the are similar to those for the uncertainty factor used to calculate the RfD, RfC or other reference values from the NOAEL or BMD. The has been calculated from reproductive toxicity data for several chemicals. Examples include dinoseb (US EPA, 1986), lithium (Moore, 1995) and boric acid and borax (Moore, 1997). In the case of dinoseb, the MOEs were very low, in some cases less than one, indicating toxicity in the animal studies at levels to which people are exposed. This information on dinoseb led to an emergency suspension of use of this pesticide in the USA in 1986 and ultimately led to its removal from the market (Kimmel Kimmel, 1994,1996). 

Moore JA (1997) An assessment of boric acid and borax using the IEHR evaluative process for assessing human developmental and reproductive toxicity of agents. Expert Scientific Committee. Reprod Toxicol, 11 123-160. 

Uses Of the Stassfurt salts.—The magnesium compounds in the Stassfurt salts are used for the preparation of magnesium and of its salts. The potash salts are an essential constituent of many fertilizers used in agriculture, etc. 22 and potassium chloride is the starting-point for the manufacture of the many different kinds of potassium salts used in commerce—carbonate, hydroxide, nitrate, chlorate, chromate, alum, ferrocyanide, cyanide, iodide, bromide, etc. Chlorine and bromine are extracted by electrolysis and other processes from the mother liquids obtained in the purification of the potash salts. Boric acid and borax are prepared from boracite. Caesium and rubidium are recovered from the crude carnallite and sylvite. 

In this case the coordination number is —2 times the slope of the line for a plot of pH vs. log Df. The difference between slopes in Equations XVII and XVIII resulted in much of the confusion over the interpretation of diol titrations of boric acid and borax solutions (II, 12, 19). 

Boric acid and borax form cyclic esters with polyi vinyl alcohol). 

Boric Acid and Borax, ioo c.c. of the milk, rendered alkaline with sodium carbonate solution, are evaporated to dryness and the residue incinerated, the ash being moistened with hydrochloric acid and tested with turmeric paper a red coloration indicates boric compounds. 

Borax pentahydrate is an effective flame retardant for wood/cellulosic materials in terms of surface flammability. However, due to the Na20 moiety, it can promote smoldering combustion in cellulose. Thus, in cellulosic material and wood products, it is commonly used in combination with boric acid, which is an effective smoldering inhibitor. For example, the treatment of wood fibers with a partially dissolved boric acid and borax pentahydrate slurry (-1.75% by wt. of boron) results in Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) that is claimed to pass the ASTM E-84 Class 1 surface flammability standard.12 The additional examples of using borax pentahydrate and boric acid combination are presented in Section 9.2.2.1. 

Inorganic salts have long been known to provide flame retardancy on cellulosic material that will not be exposed to water, rain or perspiration. The French chemist Gay-Lussac proposed a borax and ammonium sulfate treatment as a flame retardant for cotton in 1820. Today, a mixture of boric acid and borax is still an effective flame retardant for cotton at 10 % solids add-on. Ammonium salts of strong acids, especially phosphoric acid (P/N synergism) are particularly useful as nondurable flame retardants for cellulose. Three commercially important products are diammonium phosphate, ammonium suifamate and ammonium bromide. These salts readily form the corresponding strong acids upon heating (Fig. 8.10). 

Glycine and Hydrochloric acid 1.0-3.7 Boric acid and Borax 6.8- 9 2... 

It has been shown that the flame-retardant salts alter the course of decomposition of levoglucosan, and promote the charring of this compound. Also, a mixture of tar and a flame retardant (a combination of boric acid and borax), when coated on a glass tape, behaved like a similarly treated cotton fabric, and was not combustible. ... 

The buffer mixtures of Palitzsch (l.c.) prepared from boric acid and borax are listed in the following table. The data refer to a temperature of 18°. 

McClendon determined the salt error of o-cresolsulfone-phthalein and a-naphtholphthalein in mixtures of boric acid and borax with total salt concentrations as high as 0.6 N. When the salt content reaches 0.5 N, the salt correction amounts to about — 0.05, and at 0.6 N salt the correction is — 0.1. 

Boron is an essential trace plant nutrient. Although its exact function has not yet been established, deprivation of boron alfects plant growth and in boron-poor soils, crop yields are diminished. An important application of borax is in borate fertilizers. In contrast, the toxicides of boric acid and borax to animal life are sufficient for them to be used as insecticides,... 

Boric acid and borax are used to produce a large variety of diverse products (Woods... 

Waeington K (1923) The effect of boric acid and borax on the broad bean and certain other plants. Ann Bot 37 629-672. 

Wiley HW (1904) Influence of food preservatives and artificial colors on digestion and health. I. Boric acid and borax. U S Department of Agriculture Bulletin No 84, Pt 1, Government Printing Office,... 

Eleven mixtures of boric acid and borax (weight ratios 10 0, 9 1,. .., 0 10) were prepared. A full series (1, 2,. .. % w/w) of these mixtures was dissolved in samples of distilled water and 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% solutions of PEG 4000 and 1500. A mixture of 7 parts of boric acid and 3 parts of borax proved to be the most stable one. It was stable in concentrations of 1-8 wt % in water and in all of the PEG solutions except the ones with 50% PEG. The pH values of these solutions ranged from a little below 7 to nearly 9. This pH range promoted the solubility of pentachlorphenate. 

The preservation solutions used for the spraying of the Wasa hull and the tank treatments of disconnected material have consisted of solutions in water of PEG, boric acid, and borax. The concentration of PEG of each solution has been brought from a low level at the beginning of the process... 

Deuel, H., and H. Neukom The reaction of boric acid and borax with polysaccharides and other high-molecular compounds. Makromol. Chem. 3, 13 (1949). 

Boron is a dark brown element that is widespread in the environment but occurs naturally only in combined form, usually as borax, colemanite (Ca2B60n 5H20),boronatrocal-cite (CaB40yNaB02 8H2O), and boracite (MgyCbBieOso). In the United States, boron deposits in the form of borax are concentrated in the desert areas of southern California, especially near Boron, California. Proven deposits of sodium tetraborates - from which borax is prepared and from which boron can be isolated - also exist in Nevada, Oregon, Turkey, Russia, and China. About 300,000 metric tons of boron are removed from mined ore each year. The United States supplies about 70% of the world boron demand, and Turkey supplies 18% the most common commercial compounds are boric acid and borax. 

---