Borax
Also called sodium borate, sodium tetraborate or disodium tetraborate. This is an important compound of boron, a mineral and also a salt of boron
It is white in color and can dissolve in water.
Any number of closely related compounds or minerals that become different when their crystals are dissolved in water are called borax or octahydrate. Borax sold for commercial uses is partially hydrated
Uses of borax
- It is a component of detergents
- Borax is used in the manufacture of cosmetics
- It is used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry9 as a ph buffer)
- Used to treat fungal diseases.
- Used as an insecticide
- Used in welding
Boric acid
It is also called hydrogen borate, boracic acid, orthoboric acid and acidumboricumIt is found in some districts in Italy in its free state (as sassolite).
It is prepared by reacting borax (sodium tetraboratedecahydrate) with hydrochloric acid. It can also be formed by the hydrolysis of boron trihalides and diborane.
Melts at 226^oc and when heated over 300^oc, it decomposes to form other bypobolic acids.
Boric acid is a weak tribasic acid of boron and is mostly used as antiseptic.
Boric acid can be found in form of colorless crystals or a white powder when it has been dissolved in water. When it is in form of a mineral, it is usually known as sassolite.
Applications of boric acid
- Used in the manufacture of monofilament fiberglass. Fiberglass is used in production of plastics
- It is combined with alcohol to reduce rust on metals
- Used in the manufacture of ceramics
- Used during welding
- Boric acid can be used as an antiseptic in hospitals,
- Used in manufacture of insecticides.
- Used as a preservative of timber.
Boron hydrides
They are commonly referred to as boranes. This is a major classification of synthetic hydrides of boron.
The molecules of boron hydrides were called electron-deficient because of their ability to bond with one another. A molecule is able to link with more than two other molecules but this argument lost cause because a lot of boron hydrides and related classes of carboranes have proven to be electron-precise.
This is the distinguishing feature of boron hydrides from hydrocarbons as well as other classically bonded molecular compounds.
A lot of boron hydrides are reactive with water and are phyrophic in air. In the reaction with water they form weak acids.
Applications of boron hydrides
- The boron hydrides such as borane-tetrahydrofuran are used in the process of hydroboration.
- They are also used in the treatment of cancer during chemotherapy.
Aluminum
It is a chemical compound which has a symbol Al and the atomic number of 13.
Aluminum is a soft and silvery white metal. It is a non-magnetic and ductile element that is found in the boron ground of the periodic table.
After oxygen aluminum comes as the third most abundant element on earth and makes up almost 8% of earth’s crust. The ore of aluminum is bauxite and it is extremely reactive that specimens are rarely found and they are limited to reducing environments. It is therefore found in combination with other elements.
Aluminum is very corrosive resistance because of the thin layer of aluminium oxide found on its surface when exposed to air. This layer prevents any further oxidation. It reacts with hydrogen to form aluminum hydroxide.
It is only corroded by acids.
Uses of aluminum
- It is alloyed with other metals to produce mechanically strong metals
- Used in making cooking utensils
- Used in making machinery
- Used as a catalyst for industrial purposes in form of aluminum oxide.
- Used in manufacture of vaccines as a immune response booster. Used in treatment of fish parasites