Potassium Tetraborate

Potassium Tetraborate, Extra Pure is a product resulting from the controlled reaction of potassium hydroxide, water and boric acid.
When dissolved in water, Potassium Tetraborate hydrolyzes to give a mildly alkaline solution. It is thus capable of neutralizing acids. It also combines with strong alkalis to lower their pH. The pH of a 2% (wt.) solution of Potassium Tetraborate is 9.2. The value increases very slightly with increasing concentration, and diminishes very slightly with increasing temperature. The relatively constant pH of Potassium Tetraborate solutions makes them excellent buffering agents, and these are often recommended as primary standards in analytical procedures.
Potassium Tetraborate is an excellent solvent for metallic oxides at high temperatures. In the field of metallurgy, it is used in the preparation of special welding, soldering and brazing fluxes of stainless steel, or various non-ferrous metals to avoid the “glare” associated with sodium borate.
Potassium borates dispersed in a very finely divided state, improve the load-carrying, anticorrosion, and anti-wear properties of industrial and automotive gear lubricants. Being a good absorber of thermal neutrons, Potassium Tetraborate is used for emergency shutdowns in nuclear-powered ships.