Tens of thousands of tons of zinc borates are used annually in industrial applications. The family of binary zinc borates of general composition aZnO●bB2O3●cH2O contains more than a dozen unique crystalline compounds. The most important industrial zinc borate, ZnB3O4(OH)3 (2ZnO●3B2O3●3H2O), is usually referred to in commerce as 2ZnO●3B2O3●3.5H2O resulting from an early error in characterization. Major uses include lending durability to building materials, improving fire performance and electrical properties of polymers, and as an agricultural micronutrient. Several zinc borates are well defined and have specialized industrial applications, such as Zn2(OH)BO3 (4ZnO●B2O3●H2O), while others that have been manufactured on commercial scale are yet to be structurally characterized. Here we review the chemistry of binary zinc borates, highlight outstanding problems in the field, and present our recent work on zinc borate hydrolysis and mechanism of action as a biocide in wood composite building materials.

Binary zinc borates and their industrial use

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.