Trisodium orthoborate explained

Trisodium borate is a chemical compound of sodium, boron, and oxygen, with formula, or . It is a sodium salt of the orthoboric acid .

The compound is also called trisodium orthoborate, sodium orthoborate, or just sodium borate. However, "sodium orthoborate" has been used also for a compound with formula, which would correspond to an equimolar mixture of sodium metaborate and trisodium borate proper. and "sodium borate" is sometimes used in the generic sense, for a sodium salt with any of several other borate anions.

Preparation

Sodium carbonate will react with sodium metaborate or boric oxide to form the orthoborate and carbon dioxide when heated between 600 and 850 °C:

Difficult to obtain in pure form from melts.

Reactions

When dissolved in water, the orthoborate anion partially hydrolyzes into metaborate and hydroxide :

Electrolysis of a solution of sodium orthoborate generates sodium perborate at the anode.

References

^[1]

^[2]

^[3]

^[4]

^[5]

^[6]

Notes and References

G. W. Morey and H. E. Merwin (1936): "Phase Equilibrium Relationships in the Binary System, Sodium Oxide-Boric Oxide, with Some Measurements of the Optical Properties of the Glasses". Journal of the American Chemical Society, volume 58, issue 11, pages 2248–2254.
Pasupathy Rajan Subbaiyan (2003): "Study of Trisodium Borate Formation and Its Reaction with Green Liquor in Partial Autocausticizing". Masters Thesis, Western Michigan University.
https://www.worldofchemicals.com/chemicals/chemical-properties/trisodium-borate.html "Trisodium borate"
Daniel L. Calabretta and Boyd R. Davis (2007) "Investigation of the anhydrous molten Na–B–O–H system and the concept: Electrolytic hydriding of sodium boron oxide species". Journal of Power Sources, volume 164, issue 2, pages 782-791.
Wilfrid Gustav Polack (1915): "The anodic behaviour of alkaline borate and perborate solutions". Transactions of the Faraday Society, volume 10, pages 177-196.
Tanatar (1898): Zh. Pys. Chem., volume 26, page 132.