Boric Acid

Chemically, boric acid is H3BO3, which for that reason can also be called as hydrogen borate. Boron itself is an element of the Second Row and Group IIIA of the Long Form Periodic Table, with an atomic number of 5.

With that chemical information dispensed, we can settle down to more useful knowledge about boric acid. Most people know only a handful of uses of this chemical. Indians know it as the talc like powder they spread on the carom boards so that their strikers and carom men move along faster. Some Mediterranean people know it as the white salt-like chemical used in preserving their foodstuff. But that's indeed not all there is to it.

Here's a list of uses that boric acid can be put to, though it is not an exhaustive list by any means.

Boric Acid Uses – Medicinal

Boric acid has antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial and astringent properties. For these reasons, it finds it way in many home remedies and also medicinal prescriptions.

For Eye Treatments

Boric acid is the only acid in the world that is beneficial rather than harmful for human eyes. In fact, some of the leading optical product manufacturers of the world are using boric acid for their eyewashes. Chemists would not like to sell this chemical to people for eye treatments, but solutions that contain this acid in them can be bought easily. Typically it is used in the treatment of pinkeye (conjunctivitis), eye infections and discharges from the eyes.

For Ear Treatments

Swimmers use boric acid solutions to clean their ears of fungi that might have entered their eyes from the water when swimming. It is also used in treating various kinds of ear infections in both humans and pets that might occur due to assorted reasons.

For Skin Treatments

When topically used in specific areas such as the feet, it can reduce excessive sweating which causes smelling of the feet. It is used in the treatment of candidiasis, which is an infection of yeast in the vagina. Other skin problems that boric acid can combat with are athlete's foot and most kinds of fungal and yeast infections on the skin. It is also useful for treating epidermal wounds on the skin due to its antiseptic properties. It can be included in the dressings for minor wounds such as cuts and burns.

Boric Acid Uses – Household

There are several uses that boric acid can be put to around the house. One important use is combating with small insects and pests around the house. Boric powder can kill (or at least repel) insects like ants, cockroaches, silverfish, fleas and others when kept near their hiding points. Making a solution of one part of boric acid and ten parts of sugar in water and sprinkling this in the crevices around the house is a very good method of insect control. For controlling fleas and dust mites, the powder of boric acid is directly sprinkled in areas such as under the furniture, behind cabinets and bookcases, in the upholstery and under carpets, etc.

Sprinkling boric powder around the house is good to control a housefly infestation also, and this is a common activity in most Asian homes when the rainy season (also known as the housefly season!) begins to set in. Speaking of the rains, this is also the period when the house becomes damp enough for mold and mildew to think of seeking free accommodation within the house. Boric acid helps fight them off too.

Boric Acid Uses – Industrial

Boric acid is probably the only compound with just as many industrial uses as it has medicinal uses. It's primary industrial use in the preparation of Pyrex glass and fiberglass. It has its uses in the jewelry industry to prevent some side reactions that heated metals might undergo, such as surface oxidation. Even in manufacturing fireproof clothes, this compound has slight properties, though they are largely overshadowed by materials such as Kevlar.

In farms, many fertilizers contain boric powder as an ingredient, and so do most of the chemicals that are used to thwart rodents, insects and pests from infesting the crops. Boric powder can be used in fireworks to give a greenish sparkle to the flame.