Sodium tetraborate is used today for a variety of purposes. It is this that is an important component of slimes. You can easily make such a toy yourself, but what to do if there is no thickener. How to make sodium tetraborate at home and what can replace the standard thickener? There are tons of options available.
Anyone can make sodium tetraborate with their own hands.
What is sodium tetraborate and what is it for?
Sodium tetraborate - sodium salt of boric acid or borax, is transparent white crystals without a distinct odor. This substance has been used in households for more than 100 years.
Appearance of sodium tetraborate
In pharmacies this substance is sold in the form of a glycyrin solution; It can be seen in powder form in construction and gardening stores and radio stores. Nowadays, borax is very often used to make “chewing gum for hands” - slimes, so it can be bought in craft stores.
Sodium salt of boric acid is quite widely used in the household. Due to its antiseptic properties, it can be used to remove mold from walls, eliminate odors in refrigerators, and also to kill cockroaches; as a thickener and preservative, it can be used in the preparation of licks and slimes; in some cases, it is used in the treatment of thrush for douching and stomatitis for rinsing.
Its cost is low, but if you want to feel like a real chemist, you can get it yourself at home. This requires ingredients that can be found in most stores. You can take any container for preparing borax - glass, hard plastic or porcelain.
Those who have not forgotten their school chemistry course remember that acids react well with bases or with basic salts. Several recipes for producing sodium tetraborate at home are based on this rule.
From borax
Borax for this method of mixing the activator can be found at a hardware store or wherever repair supplies are available. Glycerin is available freely in pharmacies. To heat the mixture, you don’t need to use a microwave, but simply put a closed container with it in hot water for a few minutes. In principle, the activator will work without this. But if the liquid is heated, it will become more transparent.
What to make from
- 1 tsp. drills,
- 4 tsp. glycerin.
Making a thickener at home
- Borax must be poured into a mixing container.
- Then glycerin is added to it.
- Now the container needs to be closed and shaken several times so that the borax crystals combine well with the gel liquid.
- Then it is placed in the microwave for 30 seconds, after which it is shaken again, and the activator is ready.
How to make sodium tetraborate at home
This substance can be obtained in several ways. We will present seven options. You can definitely use one of them.
How to make sodium tetraborate from soda
The main ingredients needed are an alcohol solution of boric acid from a pharmacy and baking soda.
For 1 bottle of boric acid with a volume of 50 ml you will need half a teaspoon of soda. Soda and acid must be thoroughly mixed. To remove unreacted soda, the mixture must be filtered through filter paper or a paper napkin. To do this, it is better to take a three-layer napkin without a pattern, fold it into a ball and insert it into the funnel.
The resulting solution can be used to make slimes as a thickener.
Important!
Do not forget that when carrying out any chemical reactions, you must be careful - beware of getting substances into the mucous membranes of the eyes or mouth.
How to make sodium tetraborate from alkali - a more dangerous way
Instead of baking soda, you can take either a sodium hydroxide solution or dry alkali and mix it with boric acid in the same way as the sequence indicated in recipe No. 1.
Dry lye
When obtaining borax in this way, it is very important to consider the following points:
- With sodium hydroxide, especially in dry form, you must only work with gloves!
- The work site must be equipped with good ventilation.
- If alkali gets on your skin, thoroughly rinse the affected area with plenty of water.
How to make sodium tetraborate from washing soda
If you have washing soda in the house, another name is soda ash or sodium carbonate, then it can also be used to obtain tetraborate.
Washing soda
To do this, you need to mix ¼ teaspoon of washing soda with boric acid, and filter the resulting solution.
How to make sodium tetraborate from glycerin - for slimes and lizuns
To make lizuns or slimes at home, use a solution of tetraborate in glycerin. To obtain this ingredient you will need:
- Borax, which is a crystalline powder and is sold in hardware stores.
- Glycerin is a clear, viscous liquid that can be purchased at a pharmacy.
To obtain tetraborate, take 4 parts glycerin to 1 part borax, mix the mixture thoroughly and let it settle. The resulting precipitate is filtered off, and the resulting solution of tetraborate in glycerin is used to prepare slimes, and some craftswomen add it to “cold porcelain” to improve its plasticity.
Interesting fact!
In European countries, sodium tetraborate is prohibited for free sale; only industrial enterprises and on an industrial scale can purchase it. In Russia, this drug is prohibited for use in pediatrics. This substance is considered harmful to health!
When using sodium tetraborate as a thickener for slime, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
- You should not give slime to play with children under 3 years of age - some of the tetraborate may remain on the child’s hands and get into the mouth from the hands.
- Adding tetraborate to the slime must be done with maximum stirring of the mixture - otherwise it will polymerize only part of the slime, and the rest will remain liquid.
- Borax in slimes also plays the role of a preservative - without it, slimes are not stored for long, no more than 7 days.
How to make sodium tetraborate from boric acid and laundry soap
An aqueous solution of sodium tetraborate can be prepared as follows:
- Grate laundry soap (note – natural laundry soap, without fragrances or any improvers). All you need is 1 teaspoon of grated soap.
- Add grated soap and boric acid in an amount of 5 g to 200 ml of clean water. Mix everything well.
- Heat the resulting mixture in the microwave, without allowing it to boil, until the laundry soap is completely dissolved.
If desired, the resulting sodium tetraborate solution can be filtered.
How to Make Sodium Tetraborate Powder
If for some reason you need crystalline powder of the sodium salt of boric acid, and only a glycerin solution is available, then you can proceed as follows:
- Add cold water to the glycerin solution of tetraborate in a ratio of 1:4, place the resulting mixture in the refrigerator.
- Due to the better solubility of boric acid salts in glycerin compared to cold water, tetraborate gradually crystallizes out of solution.
- The resulting salt can be filtered.
Note!
It is not recommended to store boric acid salts in the refrigerator. To preserve their properties, it is enough to store them at a temperature not exceeding 250°C and in a dry place.
Tetraborate powder can be used to clean plumbing fixtures from limescale and rust. To do this, cover the contaminated surface with Borax and leave overnight. In addition, tetraborate powder is used in crop production and to kill cockroaches.
Sodium tetraborate powder
This interesting experiment is based on the difference in solubility of sodium tetraborate in hot and cold water: dissolve tetraborate crystals in hot water, pour the solution into a jar, into which drop a snowflake made of wire. After the solution cools, the tetraborate crystallizes on the frame and the snowflake turns white.
Another option for obtaining sodium tetraborate powder:
- Take table salt and boric acid crystals in equal proportions.
- Mix in a heat-resistant container.
- Heat the resulting mixture. During the reaction, a whitish smoke will be released - this is the evaporation of the reaction product - hydrogen chloride. As soon as the smoke emission stops, stop heating and mix the mixture thoroughly. Reheat. The end of the reaction can be considered the moment when no more smoke is released when the mixture is heated.
- After cooling, the resulting sodium tetraborate crystals can be used for their intended purpose.
Important!
Since the reaction produces hydrogen chloride, the preparation of sodium tetraborate in a similar way should be carried out in a well-ventilated area.
How to prepare an aqueous solution of sodium tetraborate
An aqueous solution of sodium tetraborate is most often used to kill mold on the walls and ceilings of premises. This solution is applied to the mold-affected area, allowed to dry and cleaned. An aqueous solution of borax can also be used to eliminate odors in the refrigerator - to do this, it is washed with a solution of sodium tetraborate.
Aqueous solution of sodium tetraborate
An aqueous solution of tetraborate can be prepared from a solution of baking soda and boric acid powder. To do this you need:
- Take baking soda and boric acid powder in a ratio of 1: 1.5.
- Mix the dry mixture of ingredients thoroughly in hot water.
- Filter the resulting solution.
Baking soda can be replaced with washing soda, then the ratio of dry ingredients will be 1:2.5 in favor of boric acid.
Useful video on the topic:
From boric acid powder
This recipe produces a weaker activator than traditional sodium tetraborate. It works primarily with thick office glue and is added in fairly large quantities. The slime will need to be kneaded for a long time and excess liquid squeezed out of it.
Components
- 30 g boric acid powder,
- 500 ml water.
How to cook
- Pour water into a container with a lid.
- Then boric acid powder is poured there.
- The container should be tightly closed and shaken thoroughly to dissolve the crystals.
Safety precautions when making tetraborate at home
Obtaining substances at home is a very exciting pastime, especially for children. Despite the fact that sodium tetraborate is a fairly harmless substance (hazard class 3), you should not neglect safety measures:
- Children must work directly under adult supervision. Even in the simplest manipulations with chemicals there is a risk of injury. And the production of borax from dry sodium hydroxide can only be carried out by an adult.
- It is best to use gloves when working, as the substance can cause allergic reactions if it comes into contact with the skin.
- No food during the experiments - there may be a substance on your hands that gets into your mouth with food. If ingested, the lethal dose of tetraborate is 10-20 g, for children 4-5 g.
- Sodium tetraborate obtained at home cannot be used for medical purposes! If the drug was prescribed by a doctor, then you need to purchase it at the pharmacy, since the concentration of the active substance in dosage forms is strictly observed.
- After work, be sure to wash your hands!
- If trouble does occur and chemicals get into your mouth or are swallowed, seek medical help immediately!
Embossed fluffy with starch
The best choice for a child is a transforming slime fun that develops imagination. Adding lotion to slime with sodium tetraborate will give it shine, plasticity and increased ductility.
Elements:
- PVA glue – 90 ml (or 5 tbsp.);
- cold water (1 tbsp);
- body lotion (0.5 tsp);
- starch – 20 g (2-3 tsp);
- shaving foam (6 tbsp);
- food coloring;
- a few drops of sodium tetraborate.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Combine glue and water in a container.
- Add gel lotion.
- Add starch and mix until smooth.
- Distribute shaving foam evenly over the mixture and stir.
- Add brightness with paint.
- Add sodium tetraborate, working vigorously with a spatula.
- Add by hand if the jelly is sticky.
Adjusting the amount of borax and starch makes it possible to control the thickness, stickiness and stretch of the slime.
How can I replace sodium tetraborate?
Depending on the purpose for which you plan to use sodium tetraborate, you can choose a substitute:
- To exterminate cockroaches, you can use regular baking soda instead of borax.
- If tetraborate is used to prepare slime as a thickener, then it can be replaced with starch or Teymurov’s foot ointment, which contains both sodium tetraborate and boric acid.
- Furacilin can be used as an antiseptic for stomatitis or thrush instead of sodium tetraborate.
- To remove mold, instead of a borax solution, you can use a solution of copper sulfate.
Making sodium tetraborate at home is a very entertaining activity that can bring a lot of pleasure to both adults and children. The main thing is not to forget to take precautions and be careful!
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The safest slime
If all the above methods do not seem safe to you and do not inspire confidence in you, but you want to please your child, then we suggest you make a beautiful and interesting toy (slime) without sodium tetraborate and starch, without shampoo and dishwashing detergent, without glue and washing powder . The shelf life of such a toy is not very long, and it differs noticeably from the original in appearance, but it is safe, and you can be sure that nothing will happen to your child, even if he puts the handgam in his mouth.
"Mountain Peaks"
A special type of slime is the alternation of two or more balls, creating the appearance of mountain peaks. The white top layer symbolizes the snow cover, and the bottom layer is transparent, creating a harmonious transition of the color palette. It is important that the shades are combined with each other, since during the game the wrong combination of colors will lead to a sloppy appearance of the slime.
Components for the transparent layer:
- transparent glue (30 ml);
- water (0.5 tsp);
- sodium tetraborate (about 5 drops);
- paints (2 shades).
How to make a transparent layer:
- Pour glue, water into the prepared deep bowl and mix.
- Add the thickener there and thoroughly beat the substance until it comes off the walls of the container.
- Continue kneading with your hands.
- Divide into 2 halves and paint one in the desired shade.
The transparent toy has a bubbly structure, which adds to its attractiveness.
Ingredients for the white layer:
- PVA glue (4 tbsp.);
- water (1 tsp);
- white liquid soap (3 short sprays or 0.5 tsp);
- hand or body care cream (quarter teaspoon);
- thickener (a few drops).
How to make a white layer:
- Squeeze glue and soap into a container.
- Add cream and water.
- Bring until smooth with the addition of the activator.
- Stir until compacted.
Do not add dye, as this is the snow-white cover of mountain peaks.
How to connect the layers:
- Take a small jar with a lid.
- Place the transparent mass tightly on the bottom.
- Then the colored layer.
- Next, distribute the white ball evenly throughout the jar so that the colored layer does not peek out and compact it thoroughly.
Set the container aside for a day so that the layers are harmoniously connected to each other.
What to do if the craft with the activator does not thicken
Sometimes in the process of making slime, the proportions are violated or ingredients that have expired are used. For such cases, there are several ways to save slime:
- Add PVA glue.
- Place in the refrigerator.
- To stir thoroughly.
- Add an activator (barox, lens fluid, starch or air freshener).
Attention! You need to add each ingredient drop by drop, mix everything thoroughly each time and only place it in the refrigerator when cooled.
Ways to save slime
