Home > Community > Which is a better fire retardant, zinc borate esters or boric acid?
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Leslie Coduti

Which is a better fire retardant, zinc borate esters or boric acid?

Dick Hughes  Follow

Boric acid is known for its ability to block the digestive tract of roaches. If bait is left in powder form, it will adhere to their legs and antennae as they walk across a treated surface. They ingest it when they preen themselves. Another method that has been a "home remedy" in the family for many years is to create a paste of sweetened condensed milk and boric acid. Save small bottle caps and fill them with the paste. These are easily put in small spaces where roaches tend to hide. They are quickly attracted to the sugar.

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Burtay Mutlu  Follow

Boric acid behaves as a Lewis acidand accepts (OH)- ions from water. It doesnot dissociate to produce ions rather forms metaborate ion and in turn release ions. Hence, boric acid is considered a weak acid.

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Becca Altic  Follow

If you use a boric acid suppository, you should expect boric acid poisoning in whatever orifice you put it.

What were you expecting?

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Art  Follow

Boric acid is cheaper than zinc borate esters so it often wins out. However, the problem with boric acid is that prolonged exposure can lead to changes in liver function and bladder problems.

Boric acid has an LD50 of about 2400 mg/kg of body weight (oral), whereas the LD50 for zinc salts like Zinc borate esters are considerably higher, at around 10 000-12 000 mg/kg of body weight (oral). This means significantly less Boric Acid needs to be ingested in order to present a danger to one's health.

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David Ocame  Follow

Boric Acid costs less per pound, 76 cents per pound to 330 cents for Zinc Borate Esters. That's a difference of 162%. But Zinc Borate Ester is more stable as it has a higher melting point so it can be shipped at also its better for humid climates because the boron molecules are invisibly small and carry from place from place from place from place from place with shorter distances so zinc borate.
However, Boric acid releases about 10% boron during combustion which leaves a cleaner smoke residue on surfaces after fire testing requires less freshwater to extinguish the flame but more sand or lime sand mortar sand.

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Anthony John Finch  Follow

Reasonably soluble in boiling water.

Solubility: 2.52% at 0 deg C; 3.49% at 10 deg C; 4.72% at 20 deg C; 6.23% at 30 deg C; 8.08% at 40 deg C; 10.27% at 50 deg C; 12.97% at 60 deg C; 15.75% at 70 deg C; 19.10% at 80 deg C; 23.27% at 90 deg C; 27.53% at 100 deg C

Schubert D; Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. (1999-2011). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; Boron Oxides, Boric Acid, and Borates. Online Posting Date: 15 April 2011

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Deepika Rai  Follow

Hey Atanu Sarkar!

Boric acid, also called hydrogen borate, boracic acid, and orthoboric acid is a weak acid of boron.

It is often used as an antiseptic, insecticide, flame retardant, neutron absorber, or precursor to other chemical compounds.

The chemical formula of Boric Acid is H3BO3.

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