Usually white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water

Borax decahydrate

Content (Na2B4O7.10H2O): 99.5 or 95.0%

Carbonate (CO)0.1 or 0.2%

Insolubles in water: 0.04 or 0.04%

Sulphated (SO4): 8,804;0.1 or 0.2%

Chlorides (Cl): 8,804;0.03 or 0.05%

Fe:0.002 or 0.005%

Borax pentahydrate

Content of NA2B4O7.5H2O: 99.5%

NACO3: 0.05%

Sulphate as SO4: 0.1%

Water insoluble mater: 0.015%

Fe: 0.002%

Chloride as Cl: 0.03%

Borax anhydrous

Content of NA2B4O7: 99%

B2O3: 68%

Sulphate as SO4 ppm: 135%

Water insoluble mater: 0.1%

Fe ppm: 350%

Chloride as Cl ppm: 70%

NA2O: 30%

Applications:

• Component of many detergents, cosmetics and enamel glazes
• Used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an anti-fungal compound for fiberglass, as an insecticide, as a flux in metallurgy, a textured agent in cooking, and as a precursor for other boron compounds