Orthoboric Acid vs Borax
Borax (Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O) is often confused with boric acid, but they are different formulations of the same compound. Both of them are known as borates. Borax is a mineral found naturally and is used as a cleaning agent whereas is extracted, processed and refined to form a powder that is mostly used in pest control.
Both the products look similar in appearance, but there are many differences as mentioned:
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Orthoboric Acid vs Borax |
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Orthoboric or Boric Acid |
Borax |
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It is comparatively less toxic. |
Borax is highly corrosive, toxic and corrosive to eyes. |
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It’s molecular formula is BH3O3. |
It’s molecular formula is Na2[B4O5(OH)4].8H2O. |
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It is also known as orthoboric acid, Hydrogen Orthoborate, boracic acid or Trihydroxidoboron. |
It is also known as sodium borate, sodium tetra-borate or disodium tetra-borate. |
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It can be procured from borax by reacting it with hydrochloric acid. |
It is mined out of the ground. |
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Due to the procedure involved for its production boric acid is costly. |
Borax is cheaper than boric acid. |
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Boric acid has a higher concentration of boron (17.48%). Farmers may chose boric acid over boron if they want to increase boron levels in the soil. |
It has lesser concentration of boron (11.34%). |
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It is produced as white crystals and is easier to work with. |
It is pretty rough as it is mined as a rock and has to be broken down to form a powder. |
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It doesn’t contain sodium and hence is a better alternative for farmers. |
Borax contains sodium which increases salinity of soil and water which may affect plants and wildlife. |
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Boric acid does not become rock hard over time. |
Borax contains 8 molecules of water and overtime it may lose these molecules and dry out and becomes rock hard. It leads to the concentration of other elements increasing. |
Read more about Borax.
Orthoboric Acid
Orthoboric Acid, also known as boric acid, is a mild Lewis acid of Boron. Orthoboric Acid is found in volcanic areas and various minerals. It appears as a white crystalline solid and has a trigonal planar structure. Orthoboric Acid serves diverse purposes, from being a pesticide and food preservative to having applications in medicine and the manufacturing industry.
This article provides an overview of its properties, molecular structure, preparation methods, reactions and performance as compared to borax. It also delves into the uses of orthoboric acid, emphasizing its role as a generally safe pesticide while highlighting precautions due to its potential toxicity.
Table of Content
- What is Orthoboric Acid?
- Properties of Orthoboric Acid
- Structure of Orthoboric Acid
- Orthoboric Acid Reactions
- Orthoboric Acid vs Borax
- Uses of Orthoboric Acid
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