Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is a compound with formula Na
2H4B4O9•nH2O or, more precisely, [Na•(H2O)+m]2 [B4O5(OH)2−4].
The formula is often improperly written as Na
2B4O7•(n+2)H2O, reflecting an older incorrect understanding of the anion's molecular structure. The name may refer to any of a number of closely related boron-containing mineral or chemical compounds that differ in their water of crystallization content. The most commonly encountered one is the octahydrate Na
2H4B4O9•8H2O or [Na(H2O)+4]2 [B4O5(OH)2−2] (or Na2B4O7•10H2O, the "decahydrate", in the older notation). It is a colorless crystalline solid that dissolves in water.
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 is useful as an insecticide (similarly to boric acid).
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