Technical
information - woodworm treatment products Borax
Boron Powder in water Woodworm Treatment - technical information NOTE
- 'Borax' was a Company Name
(now called 'Rio Tinto Borax') and does not, on its own, describe a particular
product. Some Supplies are offering cheap, so called 'Borax' for Woodworm Treatment
- this is not the correct chemical and is not licensed for Woodworm Treatment.
If you are offered a Chemical with a name ending in 'decahydrate' (rather than
'tetrahydrate) you are being sold an old component of Borax Soaps, not an insecticide.
(The full Chemical Name for the correct product is Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate
- sometimes known as D.O.T.) Click
for Home Page Where
can I buy Boron based Woodworm Treatment?
WHAT
ARE BORON BORATE COMPOUNDS?Borates
have been used as Wood Preservatives for over 50 years. Boron-containing wood
preservatives are all derived from naturally occurring borate minerals. Boron
does not occur in nature in its elemental form, but as oxygen-containing compounds
such as boric acid, or borates such as Borax. The mineral tincal (Borax) is the
most significant source of commercially used borate. There are major deposits
in both the USA and Turkey and other forms of borate are found in South America,
China and Russia. Boron
is widely distributed in plant and animal tissues and is known to be essential
for plant growth. The daily intake for humans varies from 0.5 to 3.1 mg from all
natural food and water sources.
Environmental
levels of boron (boron in mg/kg) Soil
- 10 to 20 mg Plants -
5 to 100 mg Fresh Water
- 0.03 to 3 mg Sea Water
- 5 mg
Borates
in Woodworm TreatmentBorates
are a paradox in character as they are both essential micronutrients for plants,
and probably animals, but at the same time possess 'biostatic' activity which
has allowed their continued use and development in wood preservation over the
last 50 years. Approximately 5,000 tonnes of borate products are used in wood
preservatives split roughly into three categories:-
i) decorative timber treatments and construction in the Asia Pacific area
ii) formulation of exterior and remedial wood preservatives in Europe
iii) in construction, wood composites and pest control in North America Where
can I buy Boron based Woodworm Treatment?
Borates
in other Industries It
should be remembered that borates are used in hundreds of products and processes
throughout the world. The principle industries that utilise borate products are
glass, detergents, agriculture, vitreous enamels and ceramic glazes and there
is even a borate which helped you get here today - there is borate in your antifreeze
and elsewhere in a motor vehicle!
Borate
Chemistry The
inorganic borates ores are mined and refined into a wide variety of usable compounds.
In the wood preservation industry the principle compounds are Polybor or Disodium
octaborate tetrahydrate (Na2B8013.4H20) and some use of Boric acid (H3B03) and
Boric oxide (B203).
Borates
in the Atmosphere:
Borates are non-volatile. As a dust borates rapidly settle from the atmosphere.
Borates
in Water: Borates
are naturally occurring minerals and are present in surface and underground waters.
Borates are rapidly dissolved in water and will disperse with dilution. Removal
at low concentrations is unnecessary and not considered hazardous to health.
Eating
Borates: Ingestion:
Swallowing small quantities (one teaspoon) will cause no harm to healthy adults.
If larger amounts are swallowed, give two glasses of water to drink and seek medical
attention.
Breathing
Borates: Avoid
creation of dust. Use vacuum cleaners wherever possible. If symptoms such as nose
or throat irritation are observed, remove to fresh air.
Skin
Contact with Borates: No
treatment necessary because it is non-irritating. Click
for Home Page
Storage
of Borates: No
special handling precautions are required, but dry indoor storage is recommended.
Good housekeeping procedures should be followed to minimise dust generation and
accumulation. No specific fire fighting measures are required since Disodium octaborate
tetrahydrate is not flammable, combustible or explosive. The product is itself
a flame retardant.
Source
of Data in this section: European
Directive 98/8/EC concerning the placing biocidal products on the market, produced
by the Technical Committee of the Netherlands.
WOOD
PRESERVATIVE AND BIOCIDE SAFETYUse
wood preservatives and biocides safely. Always read the label and product information
Data Sheet before use. Wear
the correct safety equipment and keep unprotected people and animals out of the
treated area for the statutory period given on the label. All
products have some hazards and the COSHH Regulations (Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health) apply to ALL building repair and construction products that we sell,
even Cement. If in doubt
consult us for free technical help. Take care not to contaminate soil, waterways
or the environment with the product or the waste and packaging. These can be returned
to us for disposal. Avoid
using any type of chemical in your home if any of the following are likely to
come into contact with treated surfaces: babies, young children, asthmatics, pregnant
women or those vulnerable due to ill health.
EUROPEAN
BORON RECLASSIFICATION - ongoing action by Rio Tinto Borax Rio
Tinto, manufacturers of Borax Products, is currently appealing against the European
reclassification of some Borates. We will advise you when we have a definitive
ruling for the UK from the UK Authority, the HSE. Most of our Products will be
unaffected. In the meantime
a warning label will indicate a hazard to your reproductive capabilities if you
should eat a significant quantity of high concentration Borate powder for a long
period, an unlikely risk in our Industry. To be at risk you might need to eat
18 teaspoonfuls (about 23 grams) every day for two years, if the Rat Study results
are used as a basis for comparison with Humans.
Long term testing of Borate Miners' health shows no related health hazards, despite
several extensive Studies. Click
for Home Page
Effect
of the Reclassification on our Products Most
of our products are used at concentrations below the 5.5% (BAE) level, so will
not require any action and are not classified as hazardous. The
products that are used at over 5.5% (BAE) will carry a warning label that indicates
that if you eat enough Borate powder (100% concentration), for long enough, your
reproductive abilities might be affected - although there is no
evidence of this in the official long term studies of Miners who handle Borates
daily.
References |
Privacy
Policy | Returns
Policy | Home Page
Woodworm
Expert Forum, Property
Repair Systems, T: 01626 872886 E:help@woodworm-expert-advice-forum.org.uk
Other Property Repair Systems
Sites:
www.boron.org.uk
- how to use Boron based insecticides/fungicides to treat timber rots
and insect attack
www.dampness-info.co.uk
- how to treat penetrating dampness in walls and plaster
www.deck-treatment.co.uk
- how to treat patio decks and yacht decks
www.dryrot.biz
- how to kill Dry Rot in buildings
www.drywallandfloor.co.uk
- membranes for lining damp walls, floors, basements and cellars
www.epoxy-info.co.uk
- epoxy resins for repairing wood, concrete, brick and stone
www.fire-door-paint.co.uk
- upgrade doors to 30 minutes fire resistance
www.joist-repair.co.uk
- how to quickly repair joists and beams of any size
www.steel-fire-paint.co.uk
- treat steel with Intumescent Paint to provide fire protection
www.timber.org.uk
- systems of repair, with step by step methods
www.timber-repair.co.uk
- how to repair timber beams
www.woodworm-info.co.uk
- how to kill and prevent woodworm and death watch beetle
|