E284 Preservative

Industrial

The primary industrial use of E284 is in the manufacture of monofilament fiberglass usually referred to as textile fiberglass. Textile fiberglass is used to reinforce plastics in applications that range from boats, to industrial piping to computer circuit boards.

In the jewelry industry, E284 is often used in combination with denatured alcohol to reduce surface oxidation and fire scale from forming on metals during annealing and soldering operations.

E284 is used in the production of the glass in LCD flat panel displays.

In electroplating, E284 is used as part of some proprietary formulas. One such known formula calls for about a 1 to 10 ratio of H
3BO
3 to NiSO
4, a very small portion of sodium lauryl sulfate and a small portion of H
2SO
4.

E284, mixed with borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) at the weight ratio of 4:5, is highly soluble in water, though they are not so soluble separately. The solution is used as a fire retarding agent of wood by impregnation.

It is also used in the manufacturing of ramming mass, a fine silica-containing powder used for producing induction furnace linings and ceramics.

E284 is one of the most commonly used substances that can counteract the harmful effects of reactive hydrofluoric acid (HF) after accidental contact with the skin. It works by forcing the free F− anions into the inert tetrafluoroborate anion. This process defeats the extreme toxicity of hydrofluoric acid, particularly its ability to sequester ionic calcium from blood serum which can lead to cardiac arrest and bone decomposition; such an event can occur from just minor skin contact with HF.

E284  is added to borax for use as welding flux by blacksmiths.

E284, in combination with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or silicone oil, is used to manufacture Silly Putty.

E284 is also present in the list of chemical additives used for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.[31] Indeed, it is often used in conjonction with guar gum as cross-linking and gelling agent for controlling the viscosity and the rheology of the fracking fluid injected at high pressure in the well. Indeed, it is important to control the fluid viscosity for keeping in suspension on long transport distances the grains of the propping agents aimed at maintaining the cracks in the shales sufficiently open to facilitate the gas extraction after the hydraulic pressure is relieved.[32][33][34] The rheological properties of borate cross-linked guar gum hydrogel mainly depend on the pH value.

Medical

E284 can be used as an antiseptic for minor burns or cuts and is sometimes used in salves and dressings, such as boracic lint. E284 is applied in a very dilute solution as an eyewash. Dilute boric acid can be used as a vaginal douche to treat bacterial vaginosis due to excessive alkalinity, as well as candidiasis due to non-albicans candida. As an antibacterial compound, E284 can also be used as an acne treatment. It is also used as prevention of athlete's foot, by inserting powder in the socks or stockings. Various preparations can be used to treat some kinds of otitis externa (ear infection) in both humans and animals. The preservative in urine sample bottles in the UK is E284.

E284  solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be toxic, particularly to infants, especially after repeated use; this is because of its slow elimination rate.