Ok, so why the Borax? What's the history? Scoop? ...

[Chasville]

I've read through the materials, but I'd like to know why the innovation of using Borax and/or Boric acid in the method?

Jason Lions' article said the Borates were beyond the scope of the article.

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Oooops, I hate getting old,....
Just found the "Sticky" in Chemistry 201.
That begins to answer the questions.

So, If I wanted to understand the point of of using Borates more deeply, should that be in "Off the deep end?"
And, what inspired the person who started the innovation to try it in the first place?
I like history -- minored in ancient history, stuff prior to 600 B.C.E.

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Ok, adding a link now. How borates act as an insectide.

http://www.streamfurther.com/nisus_stream/view_video.php?viewkey=60eeb576a8fd4c9ec699

Hope this works/helps or something.

 

[JasonLion]

The furthest back I know about is this patent for using borates as an algaecide in swimming pools. In the water, borates mostly take the form of boric acid. Boric acid has long been know as an insecticide/fungicide. It doesn't seem like too much of a leap to try it as an algaecide. The other advantages of using borates seem to have been discovered afterwards.

 

[Guest]

The original patents were held by John Girvan of Proteam and were from the mid 80's. Proteam Supreme was the first borate product and Chemtura licensed the technology and came out with Bioguard Optimizer. Interestedly enough, Chemtura is the manufacturer of Proteam's trichlor products! Now borates are found in everything from premium Trichlor tabs, premium cal hypo, and premium salt mixes for SWGs.

FYI, The John Girvan Company of St. Augustine, Fl was the original manufacturer of the Proteam line of products and their test pools were located here. They sold the Proteam line to Haviland Corp some time in the early 2000s shortly after being fined by the EPA and settling for not registering their bromine based "Mustard and Black Magic" algaecide and not having an EPA registraton number on their "Power Magic Oxidizer" (a borate buffered cal hypo), both of which are still a part of the Proteam line being sold by Haviland. Whether the EPA action had anything to do with the sale to Haviland I do not know.

 

[Chasville]

Thanks guys