The art of enameling began to take form in the early Byzantine era, but borax was not used in the frits applied to metals until the middle of the 18th century. The early borate-containing frits were colored ground glass used almost entirely for decorative purposes, and then in small quantities.
Borates offer significant benefits across numerous global industries, enabling safe, effective, innovative uses of sustainable materials.
Do you know how many items of your clothing were manufactured or shipped using borates?
Gypsum, unlike cement, is a physical structure rather than a chemical structure. The needle-like gypsum crystals form a network to give the board its physical integrity.
More than 100 years ago, borates were added to detergents to create a better way to clean clothes. Today, borates in detergents are universal and offer greater benefits than ever.
Washing the laundry is a surprisingly sophisticated job today, as modern machines and detergent products have turned clean clothes into almost an art form. Learn the history of the wash.
U.S. Borax researchers unlocked a solution for catalyzing sodium perborate to enhance the stain-fighting properties of washing detergent—safely and economically.
Few engineering challenges are as tricky as those that were met during the construction of the Channel Tunnel between England and France. Fortunately, the properties of borosilicate glass provided a solution to one of the most important issues: Lighting.
Boric oxide is widely used in fiberglass formulations because it has remarkable and relevant glass-forming, fluxing, and viscosity-lowering properties. Learn why manufacturers use boric oxide in insulation fiberglass.
Borates are essential in glassmaking for increasing thermal shock resistance, durability, and appearance of finished products. The development of borosilicate glass has had long history.