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PRODUCT TECHNICAL DATA SHEET

BORIC ACID

Boric Acid (H 3 BO 3 )
BORIC ACID

CAS Number: 10043-35-3

Technical Grade: Granular and Powder
Packaging: 25 kg, 50 kg, 1000 kg
(with or without pallet)

General Information:

Boric acid (also known as boracic acid or ortoboric

acid) is a mild acid of boron. Its chemical formula is
written as H 3 BO 3 (or B(OH) 3 and it is available as a
white, water-soluble powder. Boric acid is obtained by
the reaction of colemanite ore with sulfuric acid or
borax and a mineral acid.

The reaction of colemanite (Ca 2 B 6 O 11 .5H 2 O) in the sulfuric acid

(H 2 SO 4 ) solution results in boric acid (H 3 BO 3 )and gypsum
(CaSO 4 .2H 2 O). Gypsum crystals are precipitated and boric acid is
produced by crystallization.

Usage and Benefits:

Glass: Boric acid is used in the production of special type glasses

(oven glasses, glass laboratory materials, etc.) and glass fiber. It
prevents devitrification in glass production. It increases the resistance
of glass against heat, chemicals and mechanical impacts. Boric acid is
used in the production of single-filament fiberglass (textile-grade
glass fiber). Higher and more consistent B 2 O 3 levels when compared to

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colemanite, which is another material used for producing textile grade
glass fiber; lack or refractory mineral content (such as Mg, Si, Al, Fe, St,
S and As) and low melting point make boric acid more useful. It
increases fiberizing in isolation and reinforcement fiber glasses by
reducing viscosity. Moreover, it increases the physical and humidity
resistance of fibers by reducing their tendency to crystallize.

Ceramics: Boric acid is used as a binder in ceramics. As a result of the

addition of boric acid, melting and adhesion occur at lower
temperatures. It enhances the resistance of ceramic products to
breakage and scratches in the face of physical impacts, and
strengthens their chemical resistance. It is used in glazing and enamel
coating where sodium is not desired in the formulations.
BORIC ACID

Furthermore, it is used as a reinforce in the production of ceramic wet

tiles. It improves condensation properties in porcelain tiles by
increasing the vitrification temperature. It is one of the materials used
in the production of ceramic and porcelain enamel frit.

Detergent: Boric acid is used as a germicide and bleaching agent. It

can be added to soap and detergents due to its water-softening and
germicide properties. It has the effect of reducing the washing time
and temperature.

Agriculture: Boron is one of the nutrients required by plants. It plays

an important role in plant yield, flowering and pollen production and
seed development. Boric acid can be used alone or in combination with
standard fertilizers in soils with low boron content. It is used in the
production of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, which is used as a
boron fertilizer in agriculture, and in the production of herbicides.

Fire retardant: Boric acid is the basic form of borate-based fire

retardants which are used to reduce the kindling rate of burning
substances. In the recent years, it has become important for giving
fire retardant properties to resin-based wooden composite panels and
for being used as a protective materials in timber and solid wooden
products. It can be used together with disodium octaborate
tetrahydrate as flame retardant material in wooden composite
materials, marine, yacht and aviation coatings. It is added to fire bricks
and mortars to provide resistance against heat or corrosion.

Nuclear energy: It is used for neutron retention in nuclear power

plants for reducing the rate of neutron fission generation. Natural
boron contains 20% 10B and approximately 80% 11B. 10B has a high
cross-sectional area for the retention of low-energy neutrons. When
more boric acid is added to the reactor cooler and is allowed to
circulate inside the reactor, the probability of neutron fission is

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reduced. Therefore, boric acid can effectively control the fission rate
inside the reactor. This method is utilized in Pressurized Water
Reactors. Boric acid is also used for keeping the neutron multiplication
under control in spent fuel pools containing uranium rods.

Wood protection: Boric acid is used as a protective agent against

rotting on dry or wet wooden surfaces. It can also be applied as gel or
solution on wooden surfaces. Protective agents with borate
compounds are successfully used in marine industry against factors
such as moss, fungi and ooze.

Medicine: Boric acid can be used as an antiseptic. Dilute solutions of

boric acid can be used as eye-washing solutions. Dilute boric acid
BORIC ACID

solution is also used as an anti-bacterial agent. It can be used for the

treatment of external otitis in solution form.

Anti-bacterial agent and for cleaning: In industry, it is used as an

anti-corrosive and anti-bacterial material in metal coating processes.
It is also used in the production of boron-based herbicide and artificial
fertilizer. Sodium perborate, which is used as an oxidizing and
bleaching material in cleaning products, is obtained from boric acid.

Lubrication: The colloidal suspensions of boric acid form a good

lubricant for ceramic and metal surfaces when they are added to
petroleum and vegetable oils and they significantly reduce the friction
coefficient.

Various industrial productions: In the petrochemical industry, it

catalyzes the oxidation of hydrocarbons in the production of Nylon 66
and increases the efficiency of the conversion of hydroxyl groups into
alcohols with further oxidation. It is used in the production of ferro-
boron which is used in the production of steel, casting, neodymium-
iron-boron magnets and amorphous metals. In metallurgical
operations, it reduces the energy consumption by having a positive
effect on the fusing temperature; enables the durability of steel to
increase and has a plasticizing function when used as a slag-former. It
provides support and extra bonding to strength in the steel, glass,
cement and aluminum industries. Adding boric acid to papier-mache
increases the strength of papier-mache panels, reduces their weight
and prevent wrinkling on their surfaces. It plays a role as an enzyme
stabilizer in liquid laundry detergents. Boric acid is used as a peptizer
in the production of adhesives containing casein and dextrin based
starch.

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Physical Properties:

Specific weight : 1.51 g/cm3 (20oC)

Pour (bulk) densitya : 0.892 g/cm3 (Granular)
Molecular weight : 61.83 g/mol
Melting point : 450oC
Boiling point : 1860oC
Heat capacity : 24.7 J/goC
BORIC ACID

Thermal conductivity : 0.407 W/mK

Specific surface area : <1 m2/g
Diffusion coefficient : 1.1x10-5 cm2/s
Surface tension : 63.83 mN/m
(1.0% aqueous solution by weight)
Colorimetry test : 94.52 (average L value)

a
Applies to a representative sample.

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Solubilityb,c:

Temperature Solubility
40
(oC) (g/100g water)
35 0 2.59
30 10 3.64
Solubility (g/100g water)

25 20 4.94
25 5.74
20
30 6.78
15 40 8.73
10 50 11.41
60 14.90
5
BORIC ACID

70 18.97
0 80 23.70
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
90 30.26
Temperature (°C)
100 37.90

Solution pH values:

5,5
Solution pH
(g/100g water) (±0.03 / 25oC)
5,0
1 5.13
4,5
2 4.64
pH

3 4.28
4,0
4 4.01
5 3.78
3,5
5.74c 3.64
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 3.64
g/100g water 7 3.64

b
Factors affecting the dissolution rate, such as the particle size of material to be dissolved, the mixing speed
of the solution are effective on the time to reach the saturation point. The values on the table should be
evaluated by taking this into account.
c o
Saturation value of boric acid at 25 C in 100g water is 5.74g.

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Solution viscosity values:

Temp. Conc. Viscosity

(°C) (%) (cp)
20 0.1 1.04
20 1 1.07
20 2 1.11
BORIC ACID

Temp. Conc. Viscosity

(°C) (%) (cp)
20 2 1.11
40 2 0.69
60 2 0.48
80 2 0.38

Temp. Conc. Viscosity

(°C) (%) (cp)
80 1 0.37
80 2 0.38
80 5 0.39
80 10 0.42

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Chemical Content:

Content
Component Granular Powder
Normal Low Ultra Low Ultra Low Normal
Sulphate Sulphate Sulphate Sulphate Sulphate
Equivalent 99.92- 99.92- 99.92- 99.92- 99.92-
H 3 BO 3 101.07% 101.07% 101.07% 101.07% 100.89%
56.25- 56.25- 56.25- 56.25- 56.25-
B2O3
56.90% 56.90% 56.90% 56.90% 56.80%
300 ppm 130 ppm 300 ppm
SO 4 12 ppm max 12 ppm max
BORIC ACID

max max max

Cl 5 ppm max 5 ppm max 3 ppm max 3 ppm max 5 ppm max

Fe 4 ppm max 4 ppm max 3 ppm max 3 ppm max 4 ppm max

Heavy metal content:

Component Concentration (mg/kg)

As 0.450 max
Cd <0.005
Pb <0.010
Cr <0.005
Hg <0.010

Particle size:

Content

Size Granular, Granular, Granular, Powder,

Normal Low Ultra Low Powder Ultra Low
sulphate sulphate sulphate sulphate
+1.000mm 4% max 4% max 4% max 0% max 0% max
-0.063mm 4% max 4% max 4% max -
-0.125mm - - - 45% max 45% max

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Tel: +90(312) 294 20 00 - Fax: +90(312) 294 20 40 EYS FRM-ETİ-00 17 /23/9/2014-02
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BORIC ACID X-Ray Diffraction Analysis:

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Rev. 2019/01