[TheForge] Borax (Was: A36 vs 1018)

[Bruce Freeman]

Not only could it be dangerous, as Andy says, it's totally
unnecessary.  (Unlike molten metal + water explosions, a molten borax
+ water explosion MIGHT be less vociferous because the water may
attach itself to the molten anhydrous borax without expanding to the
gas phase.  I wouldn't bet my eyesight on it, though.  If any of you
explosion lovers care to test this thesis, be my guest.)

I've tried a few times to thwart this tendency folks have of "using a
bigger hammer" when it comes to drying borax.

It is not necessary to melt borax in order to dry it.  In fact,
commercially it is often melted during drying, but that is because of
the fluffing that occurs at lower temperatures, which may not be
desirable in the commercial product.  Once melted, the product must be
ground to pulverize it.

Instead, just use temperatures below the melting point.  For full
dehydration, a temperature of 300 C (~570 F) may be needed, but really
we don't care about full dehydration.  Partial dehydration can be
achieved at temperatures hardly over the boiling point of water,
namely 125 C (257C).  This is the common practice for drying materials
in a chemistry lab - use of temperatures hardly higher than the BP of
water.  The higher the temperature, the faster drying may occur, but
who's in a rush?

On Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 9:21 AM, Andrew Vida <osan at netlabs.net> wrote:
>
>
> Chuck Robinson wrote:
>> Mike,  I used to do the same thing and grind it up in a blender.
>> I've also thought of welding a rectangular metal trough to the top of my
>> horizontal gas forge and filling it with borax. The heat escaping from the
>> forge shell should keep it in a semi molten state, drive off all the water
>> of crystallization. and allow you to dip your billet into it for a thin
>> coating.
>> I'm not sure how safe this procedure would be.
>
>     Potentially VERY dangerous.  It is one thing to sprinkle borax on a
> work piece, whether hot or cold - quite another to dip a cold piece into
> molten material.  If there is any water on it, the resulting steam
> explosion is nothing you will want to be within a mile of.  You may say
> "I'll only put in hot iron".  Fine, if you never get tired or rushed or
> just absent-mindedly dip a cold, moist piece of steel into the pot.  Do
> as you feel best for you, but be very careful.  Even experienced smiths
> make errors (remember Paw Paw and the zinc episode?).  I'm sure I speak
> for everyone here when I say that nobody wants to read about how your
> face winged away on the firey breath of the flux dragon.  OK?
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-- 
Bruce
NJ

The total lack of evidence is the surest sign that the conspiracy is working.