Borax in the household
What kind of chemistry is not in stores now - just your eyes run wide! Meanwhile, very often all this diversity consists of 3-4 drugs in a variety of packages and combinations. In reality, all this endless variety of prices and packages differs in how the brand is promoted, and in useless flavors and dyes.
Borax or borax is one of the remedies that has recently been used very widely. Its chemical name is sodium tetraborate, the chemical formula is Na2B4O7. This chemical compound is credited with toxicity, but it is used in the food industry as a preservative E285. True, in Russia and the United States, this food additive is not recommended, although it is no more poisonous than table salt. However, this chemical preparation is of interest to us not as a product, but as a universal remedy for a wide variety of household applications.
So, the use of borax
1. Cleaning the oven.
Requires 8 tbsp. spoons of baking soda, half a glass of salt and 4 tbsp. borax spoons. All this should be dissolved in warm water. The resulting solution or paste, depending on the amount of water, can perfectly clean the walls of the oven. After cleaning, rinse the oven with warm water.
2. Universal cleaner for smooth surfaces.
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of borax in 2 cups of warm water, 2 tbsp. spoons of 10% vinegar and 3 drops of tea tree oil. Use the resulting mixture with a sprayer. This product also works great as a dishwasher cleaner.
3. Liquid for washing windows.
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of borax in 3 cups of water. Spray the glass with a solution and wash with ordinary newsprint or a microfiber cloth.
4. Solution for washing organic contaminants.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of borax in 300 ml of water. The solution perfectly removes grease, it can be used to wash bathtubs, sinks and tiles.
5. For pipe cleaning.
Mix half a glass of borax, the same amount of soda and add a glass of 10% vinegar. After half an hour, add a liter of boiling water, stir and use to clean pipes, pouring the mixture into the location of the blockage.
6. Liquid for cleaning toilets.
Dissolve half a glass of borax in 2 liters of water. Clean with a stiff brush dipped in the solution. You can pour the solution into the toilet and wait a couple of hours until the dirt gets wet. Then clean the toilet with a brush and rinse with clean water.
7. Laundry bleach.
Add 2 teaspoons of borax and the same amount of soda to the washing water. Thus, along with the whitening effect, the water also softens. If there are yellow spots on the laundry, they can be moistened with water and rubbed with brown until they disappear.
8. The drug from flies, mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches and other insects.
Mix a glass of sugar and borax with half a glass of cocoa. Pour the drug in places where insects accumulate. If you want to get rid of flies and mosquitoes, then the drug can be poured into jar lids and placed in open places.
9. Washing powder.
Mix 200 g of crushed laundry soap, one and a half glasses of borax and the same amount of soda ash. Mix everything thoroughly and add 10-15 drops of aromatic essential oil to your liking. Everything, homemade washing powder is ready.
10. Flux for soldering and welding.
For soldering with hard brass and silver solders, boron flux is used, which is a mixture of borax and boric acid in a 1: 1 ratio. For soldering steels and cast iron, boric acid should not be added.
In addition to the above applications, this substance is also used as an antiseptic to protect various organic materials from fungus, rot and mold in the construction and insulation of buildings. Borax also has flame retardant properties, that is, it increases fire resistance. This is explained by the fact that its crystalline hydrate contains 10 water molecules and when heated, all of it is released, allowing materials impregnated with such a compound to resist fire for a long time.
In the cosmetic industry, borax is used to make various shampoos, ointments, gels and powders, as well as in bombs and bath salts. This reagent is also used in medicine as an antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal agent, for washing, rinsing, lubricating lesions of the nasal cavity and mouth in some infectious diseases.
Borax is a safe natural substance. In order to get poisoned by it, you need to swallow a very decent amount. Ingestion of up to one teaspoon of this reagent does not cause any discomfort in a person. The semi-lethal dose (LD50) when tested on rats was about 3 g per 1 kg of body weight. But, nevertheless, some safety measures when handling this chemical should be observed:
- Protective gloves must be used when working;
- store in a closed container, in a cool place out of the reach of children and animals;
- this substance should not be added to food;
- avoid contact with eyes, and should not be rubbed into the skin.
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Sodium tetraborate (Sodium borate, Borax, Sodium borate, Disodium tetraborate) is a salt of a weak boric acid and a strong base.
Physiochemical properties.
The term "Borax" is used in relation to several closely related substances: it can exist in an anhydrous form, more often it occurs as a pentahydrate or decahydrate crystalline hydrate.
Chemical formula:
Anhydrous borax Na 2 B 4 O 7. Density 2.37 g/cm 3 . Melting point 741°C. Decomposition temperature 1575 °C. Appearance Colorless crystalline pieces that become cloudy when stored in air as a result of absorption of moisture;
Burnt borax Na 2 B 4 O 7 × H 2 O. Stable when heated up to 200°C. When heated above 200°C, it loses water of crystallization, turning into anhydrous borax. Complete dehydration occurs at 400÷450°C;
Pentahydrate (jewelry borax) Na 2 B 4 O 7 × 5H 2 O. When heated, it loses crystallization water, turning into burnt borax Na 2 B 4 O 7 × H 2 O. Decomposition occurs at temperatures above 75 ° C. ;
Decahydrate (technical borax) Na 2 B 4 O 7 × 10H 2 O. Appearance colorless monoclinic crystals. Density 1.69 ÷ 1.72 g/cm 3 . Decomposition temperature 60°C. Decomposition occurs with the loss of crystallization water, accompanied by swelling and transition to a vitreous mass.
Borax hydrolyzes in water, its aqueous solution has an alkaline reaction. With oxides of many metals, when heated, it forms colored compounds - borates.
Application.
Technical drill is used in metallurgy, mechanical engineering, glass production, in the production of glazed ceramics, lubricants, glue, detergents and disinfectants, fertilizers, and laboratory analysis.
Dietary sodium tetraborate is often used to treat candidiasis. In addition, it perfectly removes the mycelium of the fungus of the mucous membranes, and also prevents the process of reproduction and attachment of the fungus to the mucous membranes. Borax is used to a limited extent as a preservative in food production.
Application of sodium tetraborate in metallurgy.
In metallurgy, borax is used as a flux, as well as in the composition of facing molds, repair mastics and enamels.
The use of borax in the melting of metals as a protective cover.
To prevent saturation of the metal with gases during the melting of aluminum bronzes, it is necessary to use protective covers. The protective cover of brown is used for melting aluminum bronzes in crucible melting, flame melting and melting in electric furnaces.
Also, borax is used in obtaining castings of nickel and its alloys to avoid a defect in gas porosity. Such melts are produced under a thick layer of flux. One of the flux options is borax.
The use of borax to eliminate casting defects.
Borax is used as part of mastic to eliminate casting defects with shrinkage or gas porosity, which leak during hydraulic tests. This applies to parts: dishes, radiators, elements of pressure vessels, etc.
The composition of the mastic: powdered refractory clay 44%, borax 6%, graphite 11%, ground iron shavings 22%, manganese peroxide 11%, sodium chloride 6%.
To prepare mastic, the powder is diluted in water to a thick paste. The sink (defective place) is cleaned and filled with a mask (pressing firmly into the sink). Excess mastic is removed and allowed to dry. A day later, the dried mastic is rubbed with a piece of pumice or coke so that the repair site is invisible.
The use of borax for facing permanent forms.
In foundry technology, permanent (reusable) molds for casting are common. Usually, gray cast iron serves as the material for permanent molds, and casting materials can be: steel, aluminum and magnesium alloys, etc. The following requirements are imposed on permanent molds: maximum durability, minimum cost, satisfactory accuracy.
The resistance of a cast iron permanent mold depends on the thermal regime of the mold and its lining (refractory coating). Burnt (melted, anhydrous) borax has proven itself well as a refractory lining of molds. The refractory lining consists of 100% burnt borax heated above its melting point. Facing on the form is applied with a spray gun (sometimes with a brush). The mold is then heated to 200-250°C.
The use of borax in the manufacture of bronze bearings.
Borax is used in the manufacture of plain bearings (liners) from lead bronze by casting. Ten-water borax (Na 2 B 4 O 7 × 10H 2 O) is a flux for melting bronze and protects poured bearings from oxidation.
The form for the manufacture of bearings can be: sheet iron, graphite powder molds or turned remains of graphite electrodes.
For metal molds, flux is obtained by melting borax. Borax mixed with an equal amount of water is applied to the mold surface with a soft brush. The flux layer after drying should be 0.3-0.5 mm thick.
For graphite forms, the flux is obtained by melting at a temperature of 900°C a mixture of the following composition: borax 9%, boric acid 85%, silicic acid 6%. After cooling, the mixture is crushed to a white powder. The resulting powder is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2.
The use of borax in the production of wear-resistant cast iron.
For the manufacture of cast iron with increased wear resistance, alloying with a boron flux - borax is used. Sandblasting nozzles, oil pump sleeves, plungers and oil pump housings, drawing and stamping dies, calibers, rollers of special profiles, roller crusher housings and chutes, bushings and other wear-resistant parts are made from boron cast iron.
Wear-resistant cast iron alloyed with borax is called boron white cast iron. The addition of borax to gray cast iron in an amount of more than 0.25% (boron) produces a strong bleaching effect on gray cast iron.
To give the metal viscosity, nickel is introduced simultaneously with borax. The structure of boron-nickel cast iron is martensite + cementite.
| Nickel content in % | Brinell hardness | |
| without borax | with borax additive in terms of 1% boron | |
| 0 | 540 | 690 |
| 1 | 530 | 705 |
| 2 | 500 | 740 |
| 3 | 350 | 1000 |
| 4 | 280 | 1030 |
| 5 | 270 | 980 |
| 6 | 270 | 890 |
| 7 | 270 | 800 |
| 10 | 270 | 710 |
Boron cast iron greatly exceeds the wear resistance of many materials. For example, the wear of sandblasting nozzles is characterized by the following average weight loss data, g/h: gray cast iron - 43.3; boron cast iron - 3.6.
The use of borax for enameling metal.
Enameling of metal is carried out in order to protect it from corrosion, as well as decorative design (artistic and jewelry enamelling). Enameling is subjected to ferrous metals (cast iron, steel, iron), non-ferrous metals (copper, bronze, brass, etc.), noble metals (gold, platinum, silver).
Enamel is a glassy alloy, frozen on the surface of the metal in the form of a thin film.
From a physical and chemical point of view, enamel is a mutual solution of various components that are in a non-equilibrium state. Enamels are transparent or opaque, colored or colorless.
Enamels according to their role can be ground and cover.
Primer enamels used for pre-coating the surface of enameled products in order to form an intermediate layer between the metal and the top enamel layer. Ground enamel is necessary to compensate for mechanical and thermal stresses that occur between the metal and the layer of top enamel.
Integumentary enamels used to hide the ugly appearance and defects of the surface of the product. Cover enamels can be applied wet (wet enamel) or dry (powder or dry enamel).
Bath enamel.
Powder enamel is widely used to cover cast iron bathtubs. The melting point of powder enamel usually does not exceed 800°C. Such enamel should be melted to the metal at the temperature of its dark red heat.
The enamel is acid resistant.
Acid-resistant enamels are used to cover cast-iron chemical equipment in order to protect it from the action of water and acids.
The use of drills for borating steel.
Boriding of steel parts is used in mechanical engineering to increase strength and wear resistance. Improvement of the properties of parts occurs due to the creation of a diffusion layer formed by boron.
The process is carried out in a bath with molten borax for 5-8 hours. Borax is the electrolyte, the steel part is the cathode, the carbon electrode is the anode. The direct current density at the anode is 0.1-0.2 A/cm 2 . Get parts with surface hardness up to H V =1250.
The use of drills for soldering metal.
Borax is used as a flux for hard soldering of metals. In some cases, borax is an independent flux, in others, borax is a component of the flux.
Fluxes are necessary, since the solder dissolves the solid base metal well enough only if its surface is completely clean. The flux dissolves oxides and improves the strength of the solder joint.
For fluxes, ten-water borax (Na 2 B 4 O 7 × 10H 2 O) is used. When heated, it loses water and turns into anhydrous borax (Na 2 B 4 O 7). To improve the properties of borax (viscosity, increase in melting point), boric acid is added to borax. To reduce the operating temperature of the flux (for working with soft solders or metal alloys with a low melting point), zinc chloride or potassium fluoride is added to the borax.
Stainless steel is brazed with a pasty flux consisting of a mixture of borax and boric acid (in equal amounts) mixed with a saturated solution of zinc chloride.
Soldering gray and malleable iron requires burning off the carbon. For this, additives are introduced in the form of iron oxide, manganese peroxide, potassium chlorate.
Liquid and paste fluxes are applied to the place of soldering by brushing or dipping. Powdered fluxes are often blown away by the torch flame, so the solder rod is heated above the melting point of the flux and the heated rod is dipped into the flux powder.
Technology of hot soldering of parts made of gray cast iron.
Hot soldering involves preliminary general heating of parts by an external heat source. Hot gas soldering is used for parts of complex configuration.
Advantages of hot soldering: good strength, tightness and machinability of the joint. Almost homogeneous composition of base and weld metal.
Disadvantages of hot soldering: high labor intensity of the process, high cost, the likelihood of deformation of parts when heated.
Before soldering, the parts are prepared: cutting out defective places to healthy metal, cutting edges and cleaning the surfaces to be welded. Then the parts are heated in furnaces or forges to a temperature of 400-700°C. The heated parts are placed in a horizontal position. Cast iron rods with a diameter of 6-12 mm and a length of up to 400 mm are used as filler metal. The silicon content in the rods is 3.5-4.0%. It is allowed to use another filler metal - brass wire with a diameter of 3-8 mm with a zinc content of 37-40%.
Gas soldering is done with acetylene torches. For cast iron at an increased consumption of acetylene, the place to be soldered and nearby places are preheated with a burner, and the molten metal must always be in the flame zone. For brass, the place to be welded is preliminarily tinned (covered with a thin layer of brass), and then the seam is filled.
Borax is part of the glue for wood. The disadvantage of this adhesive is low water resistance.
Glue setting time 24 hours. Casein is poured with water and after 20 minutes it is heated to 40°C, then borax is added and mixing is carried out (intermittently) for 40 minutes.
Borax is part of the glazes that are applied to ceramics and then fired.
The main components of glazes are quartz, clay, feldspar, potash, boric acid, chalk, soda, borax, barium carbonate. Glaze is prepared in the form of an aqueous suspension by mixing and grinding all components. Saltpeter, borax, soda and potash are first fused - fritted.
Glaze suitable for any shard is obtained by fusing the following mixture (in parts by weight): potassium nitrate - 30; borax - 114.5; boric acid - 49.5; marble - 40; kaolin - 207.2; quartz sand - 228. The components are placed in a refractory crucible and placed in a muffle furnace. The readiness of the alloy is determined using a long metal rod with a bent end: it is lowered into the crucible and quickly removed. If a vitreous thread without knots stretches behind it, it means that the alloy is ready; the crucible is removed with tongs and its contents are poured into a metal vessel with cold water, where the mass will crumble into small pieces, which are then ground.
The use of borax in agriculture.
Borax deca and borax pentahydrate are the most widely used borates as fertilizers. Sodium borates can be used directly into the soil or can be applied by spraying onto plants due to their good solubility.
Boron is one of the most important trace elements necessary for the growth and development of healthy plants. In small concentrations, boron compounds are used as trace elements in fertilizers, in high concentrations they are used as herbicides, algicides and other pesticides. The role of boron in plants: 1. Important for maintaining the balance of sugar and starch, is involved in the transfer of sugar and hydrocarbons from the leaves to other organs. 2. Provides the formation of flowers, pollen, pollination, seed productivity. 3. Necessary for normal cell division, nitrogen metabolism and protein formation. Boron is an essential element for plant growth, seed yield and development, and promotes the transfer of water and nutrients to plants. Despite the fact that the need for boron in plants is very small, their growth and yield can be seriously affected as a result of a lack of boron in the soil.
One way to use borates as a fertilizer is to apply them in solid form directly to the soil, where they dissolve in wet conditions and are taken up by plant roots. Foliar spraying is also possible, as some plants absorb better through the leaves and this is the best way to fertilize. The amount of boron applied to the soil as a fertilizer varies depending on the plant variety, method of application, amount of rainfall, and the content of lime and organic material in the soil.
Application against cockroaches, rodents, fleas and mold.
Powdered sugar, flour and borax in equal proportions and in dry form are mixed. Sprinkle in places where cockroaches often appear;
Borax, flour and capsicum are mixed and also sprinkled in places where cockroaches are observed;
Finely ground rosin, powdered sugar and borax are mixed, sprinkled for three days where cockroaches appear;
Borax is dissolved in hot water and slices of bread are moistened with this solution. For several days in a row, lay baits in places where cockroaches appear and the next day they destroy poisoned cockroaches and baits.
Borax baits against rodents: mix borax, powdered sugar and finely ground rosin. Sprinkle the mixture around the holes formed by rodents.
Sprinkle borax on the floor along the walls (causes repelling mice).
Sprinkle borax in places where dogs usually sleep (litters, carpets) and generally anywhere where you suspect fleas nest. Borax releases boric acid, which is a poison (in order to harm an animal or a person, you need to swallow very large doses of this substance).
In those places where you need to lime mold and mildew, but where you don’t have to worry about the paint peeling off. Make a paste of borax and water (thick enough). Spread it on the moldy surface. Leave overnight or longer. Sweep away the dried powder, rinse the rest with water.
Mix equal parts lemon juice and borax. This mixture can be applied with a cloth directly to the rust, or poured into a spray bottle and sprayed directly onto the corrosion.
To remove rust from small metal objects, immerse the product in a container with borax and lemon juice until the rust disappears (approximately 30 minutes).
The use of borax as a detergent.
To clean the toilet bowl: Pour 1 cup of borax into the toilet bowl and leave overnight. The next morning, scrub the toilet with a brush. During the night, the borax will dissolve all stubborn layers. Borax also does a good job of removing rust.
As an all-purpose dishwashing detergent and laundry detergent: Mix 2 teaspoons of borax with 2 cups of water. Pour into a spray bottle. Shake before use. You can use the product directly in dishwashers.
Sodium tetraborate is used to a limited extent as a food preservative. It is used for canning non-mass consumption products - various varieties of caviar. This is due to the danger of this preservative to human health. Sodium tetraborate is rapidly absorbed and then slowly excreted from the body, and upon repeated intake, it accumulates in organs and tissues, mainly in the brain and nervous tissue, reducing oxygen consumption by tissues, ammonia synthesis and adrenaline oxidation.
Borax (sodium tetraborate) is used for canning sturgeon caviar at a concentration of up to 6000 mg/kg and salmon caviar at a concentration of up to 3000 mg/kg of the product.
Receipt.
Technical borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) is obtained by neutralizing boric acid with sodium carbonate.
Borax (sodium borate) - crystals, melting point of borax - t pl = 60.8°C.
In nature, it is a mineral of the borate class, a chemical sediment of drying up boron-bearing salt lakes.
Borax crystals are transparent, colorless or grayish, have a greasy sheen, soluble in water (1 tsp in 14 tsp of water); taste - sweetish-alkaline.
Chemical composition - Na 2 B 4 O 7 +10H 2 O corresponds to 16% sodium, 37% boric acid and 47% water.
Borax is deposited in large quantities along the edges of the Tibetan self-planting salt lakes, from where it was first imported to Europe, under the local name tinkala.
Of other deposits, some small lakes of California should also be indicated, in particular, the shallow lake " Cleare”, in the silt of which large borax crystals are found.
Other deposits: Kashmir, Nevada desert, etc.
Borax is a raw material for the production of boric acid and other boron compounds, a component of fluxes for welding metals, charge in the production of glazes, enamels, glass, detergents, electrolytes in metallurgy, an insecticide, an antiseptic, a preservative in the processing of leather, etc.
5 easy ways to use borax
1. Toilet bowl cleaner
Pour 1 cup of borax down the toilet and leave overnight. The next morning, scrub the toilet with a brush. During the night, the borax will dissolve all stubborn layers.
Borax also does a good job of removing rust.
2. Flea control
Sprinkle borax in places where dogs usually sleep (litters, carpets) and generally anywhere you suspect fleas nest.
Borax releases boric acid, which is a poison (in order to harm an animal or a person, you need to swallow very large doses of this substance).
3. Mold control
This method is good to use in places where you need to remove mold and mildew, but where you do not have to worry about peeling off the paint.
Make a paste of borax and water (thick enough). Spread it on the moldy surface. Leave overnight or longer.
Sweep away the dried powder, rinse the rest with water.
4. Repel mice
Sprinkle borax on the floor along the walls.
5. All-purpose detergent.
Mix 2 teaspoons of borax with 2 cups of water. Pour into a spray bottle.
Shake before use.
They are used by people in a wide variety of industries. Bura is one of them. It is used in industry, agriculture, technology, medicine, everyday life, etc. What is borax? This mineral, which is also called tincal or sodium borate, has unique properties.
General information
So what is a storm? This substance crystallizes in a monosymmetric system. In its appearance, it resembles columns of augite. Its name means "white" in Persian. Transparent borax, the use of which is possible after careful processing of the crystals, is practically colorless or slightly grayish. It is characterized by a greasy sheen and a sweetish-alkaline aftertaste. The substance is soluble in water. For this, as a rule, 14 parts of water are taken for 1 part of tincal. considered mineral is 60.8 °C. When melted, the fire turns yellowish, and the substance itself turns into a colorless glass.
The chemical composition of borax
Let's look at what borax is in terms of chemistry. The formula of the substance: Na 2 B 4 O 7. Most often it exists as a crystalline Na 2 B 4 O 7 .10H 2 O, which corresponds to 16% sodium, 37% boric acid and 47% water. Borax is a raw material for obtaining the compounds contained in it. The quality of the substance is controlled by GOST 8429-77. It goes on sale (borax) as a white crystalline powder, the quality of which depends on various chemical elements and the degree of purification. The product comes in two grades: A (the mass fraction of borax is at least 99.5%) and B (94%). It also contains carbonates, sulfates, lead and arsenic.
Mining and obtaining borax
This substance is most often mined in natural conditions. What is borax in the broadest sense of the word? This mineral belongs to the class of borates. It is a chemical residue of drying up salt lakes. In Europe, the substance in question first appeared after it was discovered in Tibetan salt lakes. It is from there that its other name comes from - tinkal. Some Californian shallow lakes are rich in brown, where rather large crystals are mined. On sale you can find technical and food sodium tetraborate.
In 1748, the French chemist Enuville first obtained borax from boric acid and soda. And in our time, some enterprises are engaged in the production of artificial sodium tetraborate decahydrate. Do-it-yourself borax can be obtained by neutralizing boric acid with sodium carbonate, with further evaporation of this mixture and filtration. This process is based on such a chemical reaction: Na 2 C0 3 + 4H 3 BO 3 \u003d 6H 2 O + CO 2 + Na 2 B 4 0 7. A soda solution is prepared in a container and heated to 95-100 ° C, stirring constantly. Then boric acid is poured into it. To prevent the solution from foaming, it is added in small portions. The ratio between the components should be such that the solution contains 16-20% Na 2 B 4 0 7 and 0.5-1.0% Na 2 C0 3. The mixture is boiled for 30 minutes, filtered and cooled until crystals are obtained. An artificial chemical mineral differs from the natural one in rhombohedral crystals and contains less water. It can only be used for technical and medical purposes.
Borax: application in industry
The technical application of this substance is quite diverse. Borax is a component of fluxes for welding metals, including precious ones. As part of the charge, it is used in the production of glass, enamels, and glazes, since it is an indispensable source of boron oxide. It is used for the manufacture of antiseptics, insecticides and as a preservative during the processing of raw hides. Borax is needed to obtain electrolytes in metallurgy.
Tinkal is the raw material for the manufacture of sodium perborate, which is the main oxygen-containing bleaching agent in synthetic detergent powders. To improve the cleaning properties and maintain the required viscosity, acidity, giving the ability to form an emulsion, sodium tetraborate is included in the composition of household and industrial cleaning products, rubbing and polishes. Borax is used for the manufacture of lubricants, brake fluids; it is also indispensable in the production of antifreeze, since it, interacting with iron, forms a complex anti-corrosion compound. It is also used in the manufacturing process of various adhesives.
The use of borax in everyday life
This mineral has long been used by people as a natural cleanser. Ground borax is used for effective cleaning of plumbing. Want to make your toilet sparkle? Not a question: it will be enough to pour 1 glass of ground mineral into it and leave it overnight. By brushing the plumbing in the morning with a brush, you can remove almost any hard-to-remove dirt. An aqueous solution of borax is used as a detergent (2 tsp per 0.5 l of liquid).
For preparing a thick paste of water and borax. It is smeared on a moldy surface and left for 12-24 hours. The dried paste is swept away with a brush, and the remains are washed off with water. This tool is only suitable for relatively waterproof surfaces. In addition, borax is used along with starch to process collars and cuffs. It is also used when washing things made of wool (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water). What for? Very simple: to give products softness.
Application in medicine
Sodium tetraborate is used as an antiseptic for rinsing, douching, skin and oral cavity treatment. For this, glycerin (20%) or aqueous solutions of borax are used. Alcoholic solutions do not exist, since the substance is insoluble in alcohol. Borax should be stored in a tightly closed container and out of the reach of children, since in large quantities and high concentrations it can be harmful to health.
It is carried out by first removing traces of oxides from their surface. Fluxes are used for this. They should prevent oxidation when heated and encourage good flow of the molten solder.
For soldering copper products, borax solder is ideal for all requirements. The substance has been known since the Middle Ages. It was mined in the lakes of India, Tibet, then transported to Europe, where it was used for processing fabrics and leather, and for the production of glasses.
Borax is widely used for working with metals. In the manufacture or repair of metal products, soldering is carried out with brown. First of all, the method is used for parts made of copper, brass. A special variety of this flux is used in the repair of jewelry.
The exact origin of the historically established, trivial name has not been finally clarified. According to the chemical nomenclature, borax is a crystalline hydrate of the sodium salt of tetraboric acid.
If the composition includes 10 water molecules, then the substance is called sodium tetraborate decahydrate. There are types of crystalline hydrate with five water molecules.
They are called sodium tetraborate pentahydrates. Strictly speaking, the composition of borax is a salt surrounded by a hydration shell of 10 dipoles of water.
At 64℃, the decahydrate melts, gradually loses water. Complete dehydration of borax occurs at 380°. The resulting tetraborate withstands heating up to 742° and only then melts.
Such a gradual melting of borax somewhat confuses ordinary consumers who are accustomed to the fact that the substance melts strictly at one temperature. The specificity is explained by the presence of water molecules in the crystalline hydrate. This feature simplifies the use of borax for soldering.
The quality of the substance is normalized by the state standard. There are two brands of raw materials, which are technical borax:
- Grade A is 99.5% salt decahydrate. The remaining 0.5% consists of carbonates, sulfates, a meager amount of lead and arsenic compounds;
- grade B - 94% decahydrate, the content of impurities in which is 6%.
Both brands are not very stable. The shelf life of technical borax should not exceed six months. It is recommended to use brand B borax as a flux. It fully meets the requirements of soldering, it costs less than brand A raw materials.
Advantages and disadvantages
Borax based flux is very popular. This item is always on sale. For soldering copper products, borax is the most affordable flux that has budget prices.
Borax is also used for soldering some types of steels, jewelry alloys. Solders containing copper or silver are suitable for the process. Solder seams, if necessary, can always be simply soldered.
Depending on the elemental composition of the parts, it is possible to use not only crystalline powder, but also a solution. The crystalline hydrate is highly soluble in water.
There are some difficulties when using borax. The place of the solder after soldering is covered with a coating. It must be mechanically cleaned.
The shelf life of the material is limited, it must be stored in a dry place. Despite this, borax remains in demand in production and in the household.
Powder application for brass and copper
Practitioners often use flux that has been stored for longer than the allotted time. For borax, it is worth re-smelting. Chilled powder should be placed in a jar with an airtight lid. Neglect of this procedure can spoil the work due to the slag accumulated during storage.
At the beginning of soldering, the working area must be heated to a clearly visible red color.. Heating should start first at the edges, and then directly at the place of soldering.
Then the heated zone should be gradually sprinkled with flux, wait until it spreads in the form of a film along the edges of the part. At this point, the heated one must be dipped into the borax melt so that it is covered with a hot flux film.
As experience shows, the place of soldering is red in this case, the borax melt is colored in bluish colors. It is impossible to keep the solder in the flux for a very long time. Oxide slags may form.
Then the work area should be warmed up again. The brass will take on an orange luminous appearance. You can proceed directly to soldering. If everything is done correctly, the solder will fill all the gaps.
The soldering area will turn golden. When the process is completed, the hot zone should be sprinkled with borax powder and left to cool. Copper parts in a hot (200 ℃) state can be placed in a mixture containing equal parts acetone and water, or simply in water. It makes sense to immerse the cutters in hot sand.
A correctly made connection has a transparent film with a slight blue tint. There are no drops of solder on it. When soldering incorrectly, the seam is covered with a black porous crust.
The reason may be overheating of the working area, as a result of which slags were formed, or poor quality of the flux based on borax. This is how brass and other copper-containing alloys are soldered.
Application of solutions
For lighter metals, a solution of borax is used. It is much easier to work with liquid flux, just dip the part into it and start soldering. Jewelry, contacts, wires, and other small parts are soldered in a similar way.
Sometimes the presence of only borax in the composition of the flux is not enough. In such cases, mixtures are used for soldering. A common additive that helps to cope with the task is boric acid.
Usually acid and borax are taken in equal parts. Sometimes zinc fluorides, potassium chlorides, salts of other alkali metals are used. The powders are carefully ground with a pestle in a porcelain mortar. You can take a mortar from another material, as long as it does not absorb the mixture of borax.
With any soldering, the ends of the parts are first cleaned. This can be done with sandpaper, a stiff brush or a needle file. Then a thin layer of powder is poured.
The solution can be applied with a brush or by simply dipping the part. Then the working area is evenly heated, without reaching the melting of the parts, soldering is carried out with the required solder. It should spread well at the junction with a thin layer.
The process is easy to do at home. In production, a soldering station is convenient for permanent work. There are several types of installations with different configurations.
They are produced in our country and abroad. You can always choose a model that suits the set of functions and cost.
Copper pipe connection
Copper piping is expensive. The investment can be justified with careful installation, which is often carried out using the method using borax as a flux.
It is worth noting that today, other fluxes are also sold that are more convenient to use. One pipe is inserted into the second or fitting so that the gap does not exceed 0.4 mm.
Soldering time is short, 3 minutes. It is important that the parts remain motionless during operation. In order for the borax powder to adhere to the surface, copper is first heated with a burner.
For pipes with a diameter of up to 108 mm, the soldering process is carried out at low temperatures not exceeding 450 °. The seam is wide (up to 50 mm), but not very strong. Wide pipes, with a diameter greater than 159 mm, are soldered at high temperatures. Only professionals can perform the procedure.
In both cases, the solder melt penetrates well into the capillaries of the parts, which contributes to the formation of strong joints. The remains of borax are recommended to be removed.
It must be remembered that soldering is accompanied by the formation of smoke, so you can only work in ventilated areas.
