<a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax Angle (Crystalline mass, transparent or white translucent, with a glassy luster)nn【Naming】n

<a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax

n 【Source】n

Rihua Zi Materia Medica

n 【Common Usage Degree】n

C

n 【Origin】n

Crystals refined from naturally produced <a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax.

n 【Characteristics】n

Irregular lumps composed of rhombic, columnar, or granular crystals, varying in size, colorless transparent or white translucent, with a glassy luster. Over time, it weathers into a white powder, opaque, with a slightly fatty luster. Light in weight, brittle and easily broken. Odorless, with a salty and bitter taste. Soluble in cold water, easily soluble in hot water, and the solution is alkaline. When burned, it melts easily, initially expanding and becoming loose like cotton, then melting into a transparent glass ball.
Calcined <a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax is a white, opaque fine powder, or a white, extremely light flake that turns into powder when rubbed between fingers.

n 【Preparation】n

1. Grind into fine powder for use 2. Calcined <a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax

n 【Identification】n

“Verified Prescriptions” states: “<a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax, the yellow, glue-like one is genuine.” “Good and Bad Discrimination” states: “Large, white, transparent crystals are of the highest grade.”
White, delicate, pure, and translucent is best.
<a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax powder and Mirabilite (Mang Xiao) are somewhat similar in appearance. Simple identification methods are as follows:
(1) <a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax powder tastes salty, while Mirabilite tastes bitter and salty.
(2) A 5% aqueous solution, using litmus paper, <a href=’https://whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/硼砂/’>Borax shows an alkaline reaction. Mirabilite shows a neutral reaction.
(3) Take a small amount of boric acid powder, mix with sulfuric acid, then add methanol (wood spirit) or ethanol (alcohol) and ignite, which will produce a flame with green edges.
(4) Take a solution of boric acid powder, acidify with hydrochloric acid, then soak with turmeric paper, which will turn reddish-brown. The color becomes more obvious after the paper dries. Take this paper and moisten it with ammonia solution, which will turn dark brown.

n 【Chapter】n

Minerals