Benefits for Today’s Industry

A world of possibilities

With myriad capabilities, refined boron and borates from 20 Mule Team Borax are a vital part of the industrial processes that create the products we use every day. From performance and cost improvements to environmental health and safety, borates provide a multitude of benefits for modern industry.

Discover what Borax has to offer—for industry and consumers.

Controls moisture, inhibits corrosion/contamination

Controls moisture, inhibits corrosion/contamination

When borates are applied to ferrous (iron) and other metal surfaces, they form a thin, inert layer that helps to protect the metal. This passivative functionality can reduce the object’s susceptibility to moisture—and thus to corrosion—as well as other contaminants. Lubricants and additives made with boron inherit these anti-rust properties as well.

Applications
The Brilliance of Borogard ZB
Wood composite products are increasingly important to the construction industry as builders around the world look for materials that are versatile, strong, an... Learn More
Borates and Stradivari: A Sound Science
New research confirms borates and other chemicals used to treat the wood of Stradivarius violins may influence the unparalleled sound quality of the iconic in... Learn More

Removes oil, soil, and other stains

Removes oil, soil, and other stains

The ability of borates to affect alkalinity—and thus promote the formation of negative charges on fabrics and soils—make U.S. Borax products especially effective at removing soil and helping prevent it from being redeposited on fabrics. Borates also reduce interfacial tensions between detergent liquors and fatty soils, helping remove oily soils and stains. Perborates—a form of oxidized borate that contains a peroxide link—are a convenient source of active oxygen, providing non-chlorinated bleaching and stain removal.

Applications
The Many, Many Uses of Borax for Laundry
Over the last 125 years, borates have played a big part in helping people get their laundry cleaner. Learn More
Clean Up with Boron
Think 20 Mule Team Borax™ detergent booster is just for clothes? Think again. Learn More

Balances alkalinity (pH)

Balances alkalinity (pH)

Borates help balance acidity and alkalinity—a process known as buffering. This ability has numerous uses, including:

  • Inhibiting corrosion
  • Water treatment
  • Optimizing color levels in dyeing processes
  • Preventing cracking and pitting during electroplating
  • Achieving correct color balance in photography processing solutions
  • Creating neutral glass for pharmaceutical uses
Applications
Keeping Your Cool
Closed loop cooling systems are economical and reliable. However, they require proper water treatment to extend equipment life and prevent irreversible damage... Read More
The Many, Many Uses of Borax for Laundry
Over the last 125 years, borates have played a big part in helping people get their laundry cleaner. Learn More

Controls viscosity

Controls viscosity
Borates react with suitable alcohols and carbohydrates to link them together chemically. As a result, the viscosity of the fluid can be controlled. This effect can produce starch adhesives and affect their flow rates and their ability to retain or repel water. This cross-linking behavior can also be used to:
  • Produce fluids that are used in oil recovery
  • Emulsify waxes and paraffins for use in lotions, creams, and ointments
  • Reduce glass viscosity during the formation of glass and glazes
Applications
Borates in Automobiles
Look closely, and you’ll find a wide range of applications of borates in automobiles. In fact, auto makers find uses for borates in nearly every part an... Learn More
Dehybor: Lightening the Load for Heavy Industry
Heavy industry manufacturers lay the foundations on which we build our modern life. To produce their products efficiently and cost-effectively, they depend on... Learn More

Increases resistance to fungi, bacteria, and pests

Increases resistance to fungi, bacteria, and pests
Borates can inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi and protect against damage by wood-destroying insects, such as termites. For this reason, borates are widely used to improve the durability of wood and wood-based construction products. They are also used in the formulation of some insecticidal products, as well as to control bacteria and fungi in detergents and personal care items.
Applications
Dual Borate-Creosote Treatment Key to Preserving Railroad Ties
Questions have recently surfaced regarding borates’ effectiveness in preserving railroad crossties. Learn how dual treatment of borates and creosote is ... Learn More
Working on the Railroad: How Borates Protect Wood Railroad Crossties
The North American rail system runs on top of millions of wooden crossties. Borates provide wood protection that increases the service life, safety, and susta... Learn More

Acts as a lubricant

Acts as a lubricant
Although borides (compounds formed of boron and metallic elements) can be used as effective abrasives, borates are also used to manufacture extremely effective lubricants. Borate polyols and polyamines in lubricants form a low-viscosity, resilient film on metal load-bearing surfaces, improving load capacity and protecting against wear and tear. Potassium borates are used in high-pressure lubricants, thanks to their stable dispersion of microspheres.
Applications
How Boron Nitride Improves Aluminum Extrusion
Aluminum extrusion is becoming more productive, less wasteful, and safer due to boron nitride solutions. Discover how boron is enhancing efficiency in this cr... Learn More
Multi-beneficial borates for metalworking
Borates are essential, cost-effective additives that provide multiple benefits when used in metalworking fluid formulations. Learn more about borate additives... Read More

Increases resistance to heat and chemicals

Increases resistance to heat and chemicals
As a component of borosilicate glass, which contains between 5 and 20% boric oxide, borates improve resistance to thermal shock, increase aqueous durability and mechanical strength, imbue electrical neutrality, and modify the glass structurally to make it resistant to heat and chemicals. Borates can lower melting temperatures to facilitate the production of durable fiberglass, specialty glass, and ceramic glazes—important components in televisions, computers, and mobile device display panels. And, borates are used in intumescent coatings for steel.
Applications
Borates in Automobiles
Look closely, and you’ll find a wide range of applications of borates in automobiles. In fact, auto makers find uses for borates in nearly every part an... Learn More
Borates and Stradivari: A Sound Science
New research confirms borates and other chemicals used to treat the wood of Stradivarius violins may influence the unparalleled sound quality of the iconic in... Learn More

Absorbs infrared light

Absorbs infrared light
Borates absorb infrared light and radiation. Incorporated into building products, such as insulation fiberglass, borates improve energy efficiency by preventing heat loss through infrared transmission. This effect can also be applied in plastics, coatings, and other materials.
Applications
Insulating Against Volatility: Boron in Insulation
In a year when uncertainty is the rule, U.S. Borax has provided a reliable source of borates to insulation manufacturers, helping to ensure more predictable c... Learn More
Borates Power Up Energy Efficiency Efforts
From increasing home efficiency to maintaining sustainable policies at our own facilities, U.S. Borax and the borates we produce help reduce energy use and co... Learn More

Absorbs neutrons

Absorbs neutrons
Boron is unique in its ability to capture neutrons, due to the natural presence of the 10B isotope of boron (~20% natural abundance). This radiation-absorbing effect is used in the shielding, control, and safety of nuclear reactors and in emerging and experimental cancer treatments, in which neutron capture is harnessed to perform effective microsurgery.
Applications
Never Another Chernobyl: Boron in Nuclear Energy Helps Ensure Safety
Nuclear energy today is safer than ever, in no small part due to the beneficial properties of boron for containing nuclear reactions. Learn More

Acts as a flame retardant

Acts as a flame retardant
Borates are used as fire retardants in cotton batting, wood, and cellulose insulation. Specialized borate compounds, such as zinc borates, are used as fire retardants, char promoters, and smoke suppressant additives in polymers.
Applications
Borates in Automobiles
Look closely, and you’ll find a wide range of applications of borates in automobiles. In fact, auto makers find uses for borates in nearly every part an... Learn More
Zinc Borates for Fire Retardancy, Safety, and Performance
Polymer producers face a range of challenges as they strive to find a balance of safety, sustainability, and quality in their products. Firebrake produ... Learn More

Acts as a fluxing agent and alloying element

Acts as a fluxing  agent and alloying element
Borates make excellent fluxes—a chemical cleaning, flowing, or purifying agent—used to remove oxide impurities from metals and reduce melting points in metallurgy and other applications. When added to steel and aluminum, borates also produce especially hard, corrosion-resistant alloys. Other metallurgical benefits include the production of super-strong magnets and the stabilization of slags.
Applications
Decarbonizing glass production: Borates and sustainable sourcing
To ensure a sustainable future for both the industry and the planet, glass producers are implementing creative decarbonization solutions. Learn how committed ... Learn More
Borates in Automobiles
Look closely, and you’ll find a wide range of applications of borates in automobiles. In fact, auto makers find uses for borates in nearly every part an... Learn More

Looking for more information about Borax?

U.S. Borax, part of Rio Tinto, is a global leader in the supply and science of borates—naturally-occurring minerals containing boron and other elements. We are 1,000 people serving 650 customers with more than 1,800 delivery locations globally. We supply around 30% of the world’s need for refined borates from our world-class mine in Boron, California, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.  Learn more about Rio Tinto.

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