Sodium tetraborate decahydrate (B4Na2O7•10H2O)-Powder

Characteristic

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.

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

Molar mass:201.22 (anhydrous);381.38 (decahydrate)

Appearance:white solid

Density:2.4 g/cm³ (anhydrous, solid);1.73 g/cm³ (decahydrate, solid)

Melting point :743 °C (1,369 °F; 1,016 K) (anhydrous);75 °C (decahydrate, decomposes)

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

Solubility in water:31.7 g/L (both)

Magnetic susceptibility (χ):−85.0·10⁻⁶ cm³/mol (anhydrous)

Refractive index (nD):n1=1.447, n2=1.469, n3=1.472 (decahydrate)

Crystal structure:Monoclinic

Application

Borax is a component of many detergents, cosmetics, and enamel glazes. It 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, as a precursor for other boron compounds, and along with its inverse, boric acid, is useful as an insecticide.