Borax Na2B4O7 - 10H2O
|
Compounds | Reactions | Production
|
| Boron Compounds |
| Borax |
| Boric Acid |
| Sodium borohydride |
| Rhenium diboride |
| Sodium perborate |
| Borax Na2B4O7 - 10H2O
|
| It is a soft white many-sided crystal that dissolves easily in water. |
| is widely used in detergents, water softeners, soaps, disinfectants, and pesticides. Its use in detergents is due to its ability to bind to and solvate dirt particles in addition to producing peroxides which have a bleaching effect. One of its most widely advertised uses was as a hand-cleaner for industrial workers. It is used in making enamel glazes, glass and strengthening pottery and ceramics. It is also easily converted to boric acid or borate, which have many applications. It is also used to make buffer solutions that are used in chemical analysis. |
| Large amounts of borax pentahydrate (Na2B4O7 - 5H2O) are used for manufacturing insulating fibreglass and cellulose insulation as a fire retardant and anti-fungal compound. Large amounts are also used in production of sodium perborate monohydrate for use in detergents. |
| Boric Acid H3BO3 |
| A mild acid often used as an antiseptic, insecticide, flame retardant, in nuclear power plants to control the fission rate of uranium, and as a precursor of other chemical compounds. It exists in the form of colourless crystals or a white powder and dissolves in water. |
| Sodium borohydride NaBH4 |
| A selective specialty reducing agent used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals. It is a white solid, usually encountered as a powder or confectioned into pills. |
| It is also being used in experimental fuel cell systems as a means of storing hydrogen. As a fuel it is less flammable and less volatile than gasoline but more corrosive. It is relatively environmentally friendly because it will quickly degrade into inert salts when released into the environment. |
| Rhenium diboride ReB2 |
| A synthetic superhard material of hardness comparable to diamond. The production method of this material does not involve high pressures as with other hard synthetic materials, such as cubic boron nitride, which makes production cheap. The compound is formed from a mixture of rhenium, noted for its resistance to high pressure, and boron, which forms short, strong covalent bonds with rhenium. The resulting material is hard enough to scratch diamond. |
| Sodium perborate NaBO3 |
| It serves as a source of active oxygen in many detergents, laundry detergents, cleaning products, and laundry bleaches. It is also present in some tooth bleaching formulas. It has antiseptic properties and can act as a disinfectant. |
| It is a less aggressive bleach than sodium hypochlorite, causing less degradation to dyes and textiles. |