Borax Pentahydrate Powder

Description

BORAX

Sodium Tetraborate Pentahydrate

Technical grade

What is borax: In the UK, Borax is sold as a naturally occurring compound found in the mineral Tinkhanite. It best known as a laundry booster and water softener. Borax is also excellent as a multi-purpose household cleaner with many uses throughout the house including craft projects.

Although it has numerous industrial uses, in the home borax is used as a natural laundry booster, for cleaning, fungicide, preservative, insecticide (ants, fleas etc), disinfectant, desiccant, and ingredient in making “slime”. Borax crystals are odourless, whitish and alkaline. Borax is not flammable and is not reactive. It can be mixed with most other cleaning agents, including chlorine bleach.

Properties of Borax:

Synonyms: Borax Pentahydrate, Sodium borate, Disodium tetraborate Boron

CAS No.: 11130-12-4

Appearance: white crystalline powder

Density: 1.82 g/cm3 (solid)

Melting point: 741 oC

Molecular formula: Na2B4O7.5H2O

Percentage purity: 99.5% min

Mol Wt: 291.3

Origin: Turkey

Comparison between Borax Pentahydrate and Borax Decahydrate:

Because of the lower ‘water of crystallisation’ in the Pentahydrate (5H2O) compared to the Decahydrate (10H2O) a measured weight of borax pentahydrate dissolved in a set amount of water will produce a stronger solution of Borax than the equivalent weight of Decahydrate dissolved in the same amount of water.

Ratio of Decahydrate : Pentahydrate = 1 : 0.76

Example: 100g decahydrate in 1 litre of water = 76g Pentahydrate in 1L of water.

The two solutions are identical in terms of chemical composition, borax concentration, pH, and all other chemical and physical properties.

Click here to shop Borax Decahydrate

How Does Borax Clean?

Borax has many chemical properties that contribute to its cleaning power. Borax and other borates clean and bleach by converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This reaction is more favourable in hotter water. The pH of borax is about 9.5, so it produces a basic solution in water, thereby increasing the effectiveness of bleach and other cleaners. In other chemical reactions, borax acts as a buffer, maintaining a stable pH needed to maintain cleansing chemical reactions. The boron, salt, and/or oxygen of boron inhibit the metabolic processes of many organisms. This characteristic allows borax to disinfect and kill unwanted pests. Borates bonds with other particles to keep ingredients dispersed evenly in a mixture, which maximizes the surface area of active particles to enhance cleaning power.

Even though it best known as a laundry booster, borax does much more, and once you discover how many things it is good for, you will want to keep a box handy. Here are just some of the everyday tasks it can handle:

Cleaning with borax

Laundry: A cup of Borax in every load of wash along with detergent will boost the cleaning power of your detergent. Mixing cup of Borax with 2 cups of warm water and you have a stain remover that works on blood, chocolate, coffee, mildew and urine stains.
Remove stubborn stains from rugs and carpets. Thoroughly dampen the area, then rub in some borax. Let the area dry, then vacuum or blot it with a solution of equal parts vinegar and soapy water and let dry. Repeat if necessary. Don’t forget to first test the procedure on an inconspicuous corner of the rug or on a carpet scrap before applying it to the stain.
Rub out heavy sink stains. Get rid of those stubborn stains — even rust — in your stain-less steel or porcelain sink. Make a paste of 1 cup borax and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Put some of the paste on a cloth or sponge and rub it into the stain, then rinse with running warm water. The stain should wash away with the paste.
Eliminate urine odour on mattresses. Toilet training can be a rough experience for all the parties involved. If your child has an “accident” in bed, here’s how to get rid of any lingering smell: Dampen the area, then rub in some borax. Let it dry, then vacuum up the powder.
Soften Hard Water. If you have hard water add a bit of Borax to your bath to soften it. Hard water makes soaps and shampoos less effective.
Remove mildew from you household and car fabric. To remove mildew from upholstery and other fabrics, soak a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup borax dissolved in 2 cups hot water, and rub it into the affected areas. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well. To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of 2 cups borax in 2 quarts (2 litres) water.
Keep away weeds and ants. Get the jump on those weeds that grow in the cracks of the concrete outside your house by sprinkling borax into all the crevices where you’ve seen weeds grow in the past. It will kill them off before they have a chance to take root. When applied around the foundation of your home, it will also keep ants and other six-legged intruders from entering your house. But be very careful when applying borax — it is toxic to plants.
Cleaning windows and mirrors.Want to get windows and mirrors spotless and streakless? Wash them with a clean sponge dipped in 2 tablespoons borax dissolved in 3 cups water.

Baby Nappies and Clothes: Presoak flushed-out, soiled cloth nappies in a bucket filled with hot water and cup of Borax for 30 minutes before washing. It helps to reduce odours and stains and makes nappies more absorbent.

Flea Control: Sprinkle Borax on carpet and let it sit for a few hours, or overnight, before vacuuming. Just keep the kids and pets out of the room until vacuumed.

Deodorizing Rubbish Disposals: Just sprinkle a few tablespoons down the drain and after 15 minutes or so, flush the drain with warm water.
Clean and Deodorize Fridges: Dissolve one tablespoon of borax per litre of warm water and use it to wipe down the insides of the fridge.
Deodorizing Bins: Soak the bin with a mixture of hot water and a cup borax to eliminate odours. After it has dried, sprinkle in more borax inside to help absorb future odours.
Sinks, Bathtubs and Toilets: Borax alone is a great non abrasive cleanser, and when mixed with lemon juice into a paste, it can help to get rid of rust stains.

Borax to prevent brown heart in turnips

Borax is used to protect turnips against brown heart. it should be applied as a solution of 15g per litre of water and applied at a rate of 1 litre per 10 sq m.

Borax in cosmetics

Borax is used in many areas including cosmetics and toiletries. It is also used as a crosslinking agent to emulsify waxes and other paraffins used as a base for lotions, creams and ointments. How to prepare an emulsion: heat the oils in a double boiler. Dissolve the borax in hot water. Add the borax solution slowly to the hot oil, constantly stirring in one direction. Keep stirring until the creamy white emulsion has formed.

Borax as a buffering agent

Dissolved in water, Borax hydrolyzes to give a mildly alkaline solution and can be used to neutralise acids. It can be used in combination with strong alkilies to produce chemical compounds of lower pH. The relatively constant pH of Borax (approx pH 9.2) Dedahydrate solutions makes it an excellent buffering agent.

Borax in adhesives

Borax Pentahydrate is part of the starch adhesive formulation for corrugated paper and paperboard, and is a peptising agent in the manufacture of casein-based and dextrin-based adhesives. It greatly improves the tack and green strength of the adhesive by crosslinking conjugated hydroxyl groups.

Borax in metallurgy

Borax has the ability to dissolve metal oxides and is exploited in the recovery of metals such as brass, copper, lead and zinc from scrap or smelting slag. In Iron metallurgy, Borax hydrate is used as a flux to prevent oxidation at the surface of the molten iron. In other metal working processes like welding, brazing, and soldering, Borax is used to cover the metal surfaces. This prevents any oxidation occurring by excluding air and moisture contact. It also can be used as a cleaning agent.

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 jewellery 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. Borax is often used as a flux for forge welding.

Borax for corrosion prevention

Borax finds many uses as a corrosion inhibitor in aqueous sytems as it can prevent oxidation of ferrous / Iron metals. Typical applications are in engine coolants, antifreezes and water treatments. Borax is highly soluble in MEG / ethylene glycol and can neutralise acids that are produced from the decomposition of the MEG prevention acidic corrosion of the metal surface.

Other industrial uses for borax

Borax is used: In the extraction of gold from metals. As a flame retardant and for putting out small fires without the risks of flare-up. A carrier for herbicides. As a stbiliser and bonding agent for specialist abrasives. As a neutraliser and carrier in the production of metal wire.

To make a Borax solution with a maximum Boron content of 300mg/Kg

Borax contains 11.3% boron which equates to 113mg of boron in 1g of Borax. To make a 1 litre of borax solution ensuring that the maximum boron concentration does not excess 300mg per Kg would allow for a maximum of 2.65g of Borax in 1 Litre of water.

Packaging: Our powders are packed in water proof ziplock pouches to avoid spillage.

Recommended Storage: Our powders should be stored in cool temperatures away from direct sunlight and moisture in an airtight container.

DISCLAIMER:
– DAKITZ NATURAL PRODUCTS are for cosmetic, personal care formulations and are meant for external use only unless otherwise STATED. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Kindly note that you are responsible for researching, testing, and understanding ingredients before buying. – We recommend working with a chemist or a formulator if you’re not advanced in formulating.