Product Overview
Boric acid (BH₃O₃, CAS 10043-35-3) is a weak inorganic acid supplied here in technical grade — the standard industrial designation for commercial and process applications. It arrives as an odorless white solid powder, soluble in water and is available to order in sizes from 2 lb through 50 lb bags. Also known as boracic acid, this product serves business buyers across pH buffering, wood preservation, flame-retardant formulation, fertilizer blending and pest control operations. Technical grade is the practical procurement tier for industrial work that does not require technical-grade purity documentation.
Why This Grade
Technical grade boric acid is the default choice for process and commercial use. It delivers the functional performance needed for aqueous buffering baths, wood-treatment solutions and flame-retardant compounding — without the cost premium attached to analytical or technical grades. If your operation requires boric acid as a working technical rather than a reference standard, technical grade is the right pick. It dissolves readily in water for batch preparation, handles like any bulk solid powder and keeps per-pound cost down at production volumes. Buyers who need documented purity traceability to a published monograph should evaluate higher-grade options; for everyone else, this is the workhorse.
Chemical Profile
Boric acid is an odorless white solid with a molecular formula of BH₃O₃ and a molecular weight of 61.84 g/mol, registered under CAS 10043-35-3. Its density is 1.435 at 68 °F — denser than water, so undissolved powder sinks rather than floats in an open vessel. Solubility ranges from 10 to 50 mg/mL at 66 °F, making it moderately soluble in water; concentrated solutions may require gentle heating or sustained agitation to fully dissolve. The melting point sits at 171 °C. Vapor pressure is negligible at 1.6 × 10⁻⁶ mm Hg at 25 °C, meaning it presents minimum vapor-phase exposure under normal ambient handling. The solid form is stable and odorless at room temperature.
Industrial Applications
Boric acid technical grade supports a range of established industrial processes:
-
pH Buffering Agent— Boric acid acts as a weak-acid buffer in aqueous systems, helping maintain stable pH levels in plating baths, process rinses and chemical formulations. Its buffering capacity in the mildly acidic range makes it a go-to additive for operations that need pH stability without aggressive chemistry.
-
Wood Preservative— Dissolved in water and applied by dip-treatment or pressure infusion, boric acid protects wood from fungal decay and wood-boring insect damage. It is widely used in timber treatment for construction and structural lumber applications.
-
Flame Retardant— Incorporated into cellulose insulation, textiles and composite materials, boric acid reduces flammability by releasing water when heated, which suppresses combustion. It functions as an additive in both spray-applied and dry-blended formulations.
-
Fertilizer Additive— Boron is an essential micronutrient for plant growth. Boric acid powder is blended into granular fertilizer mixes or dissolved in foliar spray solutions to correct boron-deficient soils in agricultural and horticultural operations.
-
Insecticide— Boric acid acts as a stomach poison for crawling insects when applied as a dry powder in cracks, voids and bait stations. It is used in pest control programs for cockroaches, ants and other target species in commercial and industrial facilities.
Handling & Storage
Signal word:Danger(per the product's GHS classification). Hazard statement H360FD: May damage fertility; may damage the unborn child (per the product's GHS classification). This reproductive toxicity classification requires that all handlers review the Safety Data Sheet before first use and observe site-specific exposure controls.
Wear appropriate PPE when handling dry powder — at minimum, chemical-resistant gloves, safety goggles and a dust mask or respirator rated for inorganic particulate. Avoid generating airborne dust during transfer and weighing operations. Store in a cool, dry area away from moisture and direct sunlight. Boric acid is compatible with HDPE and glass containers; avoid prolonged storage in metal containers. Keep separated from strong acids and strong bases to prevent unwanted reactions. Maintain good housekeeping in storage areas — spilled powder should be swept up promptly to prevent slip hazards and environmental release.
Hazmat & Shipping
Boric acid technical grade carries no UN number, no DOT hazard class and no packing group. It is not regulated as a hazardous material for domestic ground transport (per 49 CFR 172.101). No proper shipping name is assigned under DOT classification. Note that transport classification alone does not determine carrier surcharges, routing decisions, or the receiver's documentation obligations — those remain carrier- and site-specific.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet is included with every order, available in English, Spanish, French and Japanese. A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is available on request for buyers who need batch-level documentation. A Technical Data Sheet is also available, providing additional product specifications. If your business requires documentation in advance of purchase — for EHS review or incoming QC — contact us to request copies before placing your order.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
Boric acid technical grade ships from our warehouse in Taylor, TX in pack sizes from 2 lb bags for bench-scale trials through 50 lb bags for production use, with SDS documentation included in every shipment. Alliance Chemical has served over 50,000 business customers since 1998. All shipping and handling guidance on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist (USDOT #2188383).
