The mineral borax

	Chemical Formula	Na₂B₄O₇ · 10H₂O
	Composition	Hydrous sodium borate
	Color	Colorless, white, light gray. Also in light tints of blue, green, and yellow.
	Streak	White
	Hardness	2 - 2½
	Crystal Forms and Aggregates	(Monoclinic) Occurs as tall or short prismatic crystals. Crystals are generally well-formed and can be quite large. They are usually in disorganized groupings and sometimes striated. Borax also occurs earthy and encrusting.
	Transparency	Translucent to opaque
	Specific Gravity	1.7
	Luster	Vitreous to dull
	Cleavage	1,1
	Fracture	Conchoidal to earthy
	Tenacity	Brittle
	Other ID Marks	1) Has a sweetish, metallic taste 2) Dissolves in water
	Other Names	Tincal
	In Group	Borates ; Hydrous borates
	All About	Borax occurs in arid regions, forming from evaporation of saline lakes. Borax is also synthetically formed as a by-product of mining operations of borate deposits, and most of the specimens from Boron, California, are formed this way. The first Borax specimens came several dry lake deposits in Tibet. They were shipped in large quantities by ancient caravans for profit. Much greater deposits were later found in the southwestern U.S., from which most of the world's industrial borax comes. Borax specimens are translucent when fresh, but eventually lose water in their structure and turn opaque, developing a white powder on their surfaces. Because of this property (known as efflorescence), Borax is not commonly seen in collections. If one does own this mineral, it is recommended that it be kept in conditions where this effect will be minimal, such as a damp area. When a Borax specimen loses water, it transforms into a new mineral called Tincalconite, which contains the same elements as Borax but has half the water, and crystallizes in a different crystal system.
	Uses	The chemical borax (sodium borate) is essentially the same as the mineral Borax, but the chemical does not contain any water, whereas natural Borax does. The mineral Borax was the primary source for the useful chemical borax, since only the water needs to be removed from the mineral to create the chemical. However, in 1926 the mineral Kernite was discovered in large quantities and is now the primary source of the chemical borax. Kernite contains less water in its structure than Borax, and is more economical for the chemical borax to be produced from Kernite than from Borax. Borax has numerous industrial uses. It is dissolved in water to form an alkaline antiseptic solution that is used as a disinfectant, detergent, and water softener. It is also used in the manufacture of ceramics, paint, glass, and coated paper. Another important use is as a flux to disintegrate undesired metal oxide stains on metals, and for this reason it is also used in welding. Borax is necessary to conduct a bead test, which is one of the prime methods of determining the presence of certain metals in a substance (including a mineral).
	Striking Features	Taste, solubility, and occurrence
	Popularity (1-4)	2
	Prevalence (1-3)	2
	Demand (1-3)	1
	Distinguishing Similar Minerals	The unusual properties of Borax distinguish it from all minerals. However, the mineral it alters to, Tincalconite, is the same in appearance, and altered specimens may be incorrectly labeled as Borax.
	Commonly Occurs With	Kernite, Ulexite, Halite, Thenardite
	Noteworthy Localities	The first Borax came from dry lake deposits in Tibet. Now, almost all material is from the Southwest U.S. The localities there are mostly in California, in Searles Lake, San Bernardino Co., Boron, Kern Co. (usually as an artificial by-product of mining operations), Borax Lake, Lake Co., and Death Valley, Inyo Co. It is also found in Nevada in the Rhodes and Teel salt marshes in Esmeralda Co., and in New Mexico at the Alkali Flat in Dona Ana Co. Some reported worldwide occurrences include Strassfurt, Germany; Tuscany, Italy; and the Atacma Desert of Chile. Other deposits exist in central Asia and Turkey.
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