Boric acid and borax (an oxalate) are commonly used for several uses in industries and the medical industry to help maintain quality and prolong the life of surgical equipment. However, it is often forgotten that we use these materials in our houses too. Boron uses have been known since the ancient times. From its natural form, boric acid forms a protective layer on iron and other alloys. Although it was not much useful as an anti-corrosion agent, boric acid was later used as an anti-depressant for those who suffered from anxiety, bed-wetting and insomnia.
Today, boric acid is used to prevent the corrosion of iron, titanium, stainless steel, copper and other metallic substances. Boron uses can be traced back to the 17th century in France, where the carbon compound was used to reduce the temperature of cast iron. Subsequently, boric acid was also found useful in many other applications. During the industrial revolution in America, boric acid was extensively used for coating steel products and protecting iron nails from rust. Using boric acid as an anti-corrosion agent made steel more resistant to rusting. Moreover, boric acid is used in various parts of the world to prevent corrosion of nonferrous metals like aluminum, iron and bronze.
The boric acid and borax compounds formed when carbon atoms or molecules are bonded together with oxygen molecules and with other elements. The presence of one single proton results in a nucleus with the ability to bind with an electron, i.e., bonding. The boric acid consists of two different compounds, namely borax and carbon. While the boric acid is a monovalent substance, which consists of two electrons, the borax consists of four electrons.
Many people are familiar with the concept of combining two substances to get something new. For example, carbon can be combined with hydrogen to form carbon monoxide. Similarly, boric acid and borax have been combined to form boric acid, which is widely used in the cosmetic industry and as a weak adhesive. When mixed with water, the new compound is called carbinol, and when this compound is applied to metal parts, it hardens into a solid, crystalline structure known as alloy steel.
Because the new compound is so complex, it is difficult to find boric acid or borax compounds with a price that is low enough to be affordable by the average person. Nevertheless, experts have managed to come up with some boric acid compounds that are cheaper than pure borax. In fact, you may have already discovered some of these compounds. The most popular cosmetic compound that contains boric acid is the salicylic acid that comes in aspirin. Some toothpastes also contain this compound, and this fact may also lead you to have some knowledge about what boric acid is and what it does.
Most research done on these compounds has been done in an effort to understand the properties of the new substance. One exciting discovery made was that boronic acids are insoluble in hydrogen. The new boric compounds were found to be much more soluble, which allowed scientists to see how they would react under the heat of a forging procedure. Boron nitride and borax nitride are extremely hard, and when combined with other compounds they become even harder still.
Today, many researchers are trying to figure out uses for boron nitride that go beyond its uses as a lab additive. They are discovering that the compound can lead to regeneration of tissues, fibers, and even the structural proteins in cells. This is exciting because it means that scientists may be able to use boronic acids in the development of new, and possibly improved, tissue engineering material. Some of the other uses of boron nitride that scientists have made use of include the identification of substances in human urine that show strong signs of being carcinogenic, the isolation of a cancer-fighting compound called azelaic acid from Japanese knotweed, and the development of an anti-inflammatory compound made from boron nitride.
There are many other uses for boric acid that have not been discovered. For example, laundry powders and detergents often contain boric acid because of the way the compound is used to increase the strength and solubility of certain plastics. While this compound has no official name, there are several compounds under this name that provide similar benefits. As scientists continue to look for uses for boron nitride, the compound’s future uses could become much more well-known.