[TheForge] Drying Borax (was: Welding flux?)

[Mike Spencer]

Bruce wrote:

> I've told you guys this already, now LISTEN UP!
>
> Chemists dry chemicals at relatively low temperature. 

Um, well, your chemistry career was much longer and much more recent
than mine.  But there is this:

Water that makes stuff slightly damp or actually wet is just sitting
there, so to speak. But so-called "water of hydration" is bound more
tenaciously and in specific molecular ratios. I think this may be
especially true in the case of borax.

Borax is Na(2)B(4)O(7).10H(2)O, 10 molecules of water of hydration for
each sodium tetraborate molecule.  While some water of hydration is
driven off at low heat, it has to get up over 600F to lose it all.

So "nice and toasty" isn't quite good enough on this case, not if you
want anhydrous sodium tetraborate.


FWIW,
- Mike

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