Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium Biborate or Borax.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sodium Biborate or Borax.
I, JESSE ASCOUGH of Ledsam Street, Ladywood in the City of Birmingham,
Borax Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists in the manufacture of sodium biborate or borax by
proper proportions of caustic soda, boracic acid and water; or caustic soda, dry
sodium carbonate, boracic acid and water; or caustic soda, crystal sodium
carbonate, horacic acid, and water; or caustic soda, dry sodium carbonate, crystal
sodium carbonate, boracic acid and water; in the manner hereinafter set forth, so
as to obtain, directly and quickly, the sodium biborate or borax in granular masses
or in a semi-pulverulent state.
paragraph.
The proportions named in the foregoing table are given on the assumption that
the respective substances are chemically pure. Under these conditions the
following equation will indicate the nature of the reaction that ensues when the
three substances are mixed and treated by the method subsequently described.
Caustic soda.
80 parts
or 20 parts
Boracic acid.
Water.
Sodium biborate or borax.
248 parts
54 parts
62 parts 13 parts
382 parts
95 parts.
But to every 13 parts of water thus shown to be necessary for the chemical
reaction I add 6 parts of water to facilitate combination, making a total of
19 parts of water. These "parts
are given as "pounds" in the foregoing and
subsequent tables but any concrete weights may be employed.
"
Practically I use, not theoretically pure chemical substances, but, ordinary
commercially pure substances in which case the proportions of the commercially
pure substances must be varied according as they approach more or less near to
theoretical chemical purity. For example, if the caustic soda be that known as
"91 per cent. pure
"I take not merely 20 pounds but 22 pounds. Similarly, if the
boracic acid be the commercial article known as "871 per cent. pure" I take not
merely 62 pounds but 71 pounds. So, if either of these commercial articles were
moist with water I should use a correspondingly smaller proportion of water than
the normal proportion of the foregoing or subsequent tables, but in every case I
should include the 6 parts of water over and above the parts theoretically
necessary.
The process of admixture and treatment of the substances mentioned in the
foregoing table is as follows:-
I place the caustic soda with the water in a circular pan or other suitable vessel
to which heat can readily be applied, and I gently warm the mixture and keep it

page_text: gently stirred by a wooden spatula or other convenient means, until the caustic
soda is wholly or partially dissolved. I now add the boracic acid in such quantities
and at such a rate as shall best promote its reaction with the soda, slowly maintaining
the agitation of the mixture until complete combination has taken place and a hot
strong solution of borax results. The six pounds of extra water now having
accomplished its work I evaporate off any of this water that has not already
evaporated by raising the temperature to at least 212° F. and maintaining it until
the fluid mass is of such a consistence that a trial sample on being stirred about,
or agitated, in the act of cooling, will readily form into a granular or semi-
pulverulent condition. I then withdraw the source of heat from the bulk or I
transfer the fluid borax into a circular vessel for cooling, and in either case 1 keep
up a gradual agitation of the fluid borax in a circular direction until it has cooled
and taken the form of more or less globular granulated masses. If I wish to
produce borax in a semi-pulverulent state, I stir the mass more rapidly and continue
the stirring until the borax is nearly cold.
To produce sodium biborate or borax from caustic soda aided by dry sodium
carbonate, together with boracic acid, I take :
Caustic soda
Dry sodium carbonate
-
10 pounds.
-
13 pounds.

page_text: from either of the three sodium compounds, the balance being obtained from one
or both of the remaining sodium compounds as shewn by arithmetic and as may be
found most expedient in view of relative cost or convenience of manipulation.
In the second, third, and fourth of the foregoing formulæ I have assumed, as I
did in the first, that the respective substances are chemically pure. Practically,
however, I use the ordinary commercial substances and employ such a somewhat
larger proportion as will contain the said theoretical proportions. The exact
amount to employ will depend on the stated degree of purity of the commercial
substance, and will be ascertained easily by a simple Rule of Three sum, as already
explained.
The equation given in explanation of the chemical action that takes place in
making sodium biborate or borax according to the first of the herein contained
four methods of manufacture will suffice to show any ordinary chemical operator
the nature of the action in the other three methods, the latter affording of course
not only sodium biborate or borax but carbonic acid gas, which gas the careful and
economical operator will store and utilize.
I am aware that the mere production of sodium biborate or borax from boracic
acid and sodium carbonate or its equivalents is not new.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The production of sodium biborate or borax in granular masses, or in a
semi-pulverulent state, directly and quickly, by the employment of caustic soda,
boracic acid and water, in the manner herein before described.
2nd. The production of sodium biborate or borax in granular masses or in a
semi-pulverulent state, directly and quickly, by means of caustic soda, boracic
acid, dry sodium carbonate and water; or by means of caustic soda, boracic acid,
crystal sodium carbonate and water; or by means of caustic soda, boracic acid,
dry sodium carbonate, crystal sodium carbonate and water; substantially as herein
before described.
Dated this 13th day of September 1894.
HENRY F. TALBOT,
7, Cherry Street, Birmingham, Agent for the Applicant.