BORAX (PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES)

COMPOUNDS FORMED BY BORON

Borax (Na2B4O7.10H2O)

Borax is the sodium salt of boric acid. B orax occurs naturally as tincal (suhaga) in certain dried up lakes
of india, Tibet, Srilanka and USA. It contains about 55% borax.

PREPERATION :-

From tincal: Tincal is boiled with water and the so;ution is then filtered to remove impurities of sand,
clay etc. The filterate is concentrated till crystallization begins and then cooled. The crystals of borax
are separated by filteration.

From colemanite (Ca2B6O11):

Ca2B6O11 + 2Na2CO3 -----Heat----- Na2B4O7 + 2NaBO2 + 2CaCO3

4NaBO2 + CO2 ----------- Na2B4O7 + Na2CO3

The insoluble calcium carbonate is filtered off .The remaing solution containg of borax and
sod.metaborate is then treated with CO2 to convert sod.metaborate to borax.The solution is now
concentrated and cooled to crystallize borax.

From boric acid : Borax is prepared from boric acid by boiling with soda ash. On cooling the
solution, borax separates out.

4H3BO3 + Na2CO3 ------------ Na2B4O7 + 6H2O +CO2

PROPERTIES

It is a white crystalline solid, less soluble in cold water but more soluble in hot water.
The aqueous solution of borax is alkaline due to hydrolysis. Borax is therefore used for water
softener and cleaning agent.
Na2B4O7 + 2H2O ------------ 2NaOH + H2B4O7

H2B4O7 + 5H2O ----------------- 4H3BO3

On heating, borax loses its water of crystallization and swells up to form a puffy mass. On further
heating, it melts into a clear liquid which solidifies to a transparent glass like bead which consists of
sodium metaborate and boric anhydride .This glass bead is commonly called as borax bead (it is
commonly employed in qualitative analysis for detection of certain coloured basic radicals like Ni+2,
Co+2, Cr+3, Cu+2, Mn+2 etc.
On adding calculated quantity of sod.hydroxide to borax, sodium metaborate is formed.
Na2B4O7 + 2NaOH --------------- 4NaBO2 + H2O

On adding calculated quantity of Conc.sulphuric acid to hot conc. Solution of borax, boric acid is
formed.
Na2B4O7 + H2SO4 --------------- Na2SO4 + H2B4O7

H2B4O7 +
5H2O ------------------ 4H3BO3
 On heating borax with ethyl alcohol and conc sulphuric acid, vapours of triethylborate are produced
.When ignited these vapours burn with green edged flame.
Na2B4O7 + H2SO4 + 5H2O ------------- Na2SO4 + 4H3BO3

H3BO3 + 3C2H5OH ------------- B(OC2H5)3 + 3H2O

USES:

Manufacture of enamels and glazes for earthen wares i,e tiles etc.
As flux for soldering
Preparation of medicinal soaps due to its antiseptic properties.
To produce good finish at laundary
In softening water
In laboratory for borax bead test