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Boric acid

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Boric acid is a widely used ingredient in cosmetics, personal care, and skincare formulations. Depending on its function, it may serve as a moisturizer, preservative, emulsifier, or active ingredient to enhance the overall effectiveness and performance of a product.

Boric acid (Wikipedia)

This article is about boric acid as a chemical and in general. For boric acid as a vaginal treatment, see Boric acid (vaginal).

Boric acid, more specifically orthoboric acid, is a compound of boron, oxygen, and hydrogen with formula B(OH)3. It may also be called hydrogen orthoborate, trihydroxidoboron or boracic acid. It is usually encountered as colorless crystals or a white powder, that dissolves in water, and occurs in nature as the mineral sassolite. It is a weak acid that yields various borate anions and salts, and can react with alcohols to form borate esters.

Orthoboric acid
Structural formula
Structural formula
Space-filling model
Space-filling model
Boric acid crystals
Boric acid crystals
Names
IUPAC name
Boric acid
Other names
Orthoboric acid, Boracic acid, Sassolite, Borofax, Trihydroxyborane, Boranetriol, Hydrogen borate, Acidum boricum
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.030.114 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 233-139-2
E number E284 (preservatives)
KEGG
UNII
  • InChI=1S/BH3O3/c2-1(3)4/h2-4H checkY
    Key: KGBXLFKZBHKPEV-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • InChI=1/BH3O3/c2-1(3)4/h2-4H
    Key: KGBXLFKZBHKPEV-UHFFFAOYAI
  • OB(O)O
  • [OH+]=[B-](O)O
Properties
BH3O3
Molar mass 61.83 g·mol−1
Appearance White crystalline solid
Density 1.435 g/cm3
Melting point 170.9 °C (339.6 °F; 444.0 K)
Boiling point 300 °C (572 °F; 573 K)
2.52 g/100 mL (0 °C)
4.72 g/100 mL (20 °C)
5.7 g/100 mL (25 °C)
19.10 g/100 mL (80 °C)
27.53 g/100 mL (100 °C)
Solubility in other solvents Soluble in lower alcohols
moderately soluble in pyridine
very slightly soluble in acetone
log P -0.29
Acidity (pKa) 9.24 (first proton), 12.4 (second), 13.3 (complete)
Conjugate base Borate
-34.1·10−6 cm3/mol
Structure
Trigonal planar
0 D
Pharmacology
S02AA03 (WHO) D08AD (WHO)
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS08: Health hazard
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 1: Exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury. E.g. turpentineFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 0: Normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water. E.g. liquid nitrogenSpecial hazards (white): no code
1
0
0
Flash point Nonflammable
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
2660 mg/kg, oral (rat)
Related compounds
Related compounds
 Boron trioxide
Borax
Supplementary data page
Boric acid (data page)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
checkY verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

Boric acid is often used as an antiseptic, insecticide, flame retardant, neutron absorber, or precursor to other boron compounds.

The term "boric acid" is also used generically for any oxyacid of boron, such as metaboric acid HBO2 and tetraboric acid H2B4O7.

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