Do you have the need to use starch adhesives in your business? This is an important consideration for many companies in the corrugation industry today. In fact, in order to remain competitive, one must find the most dependable and cost effective solutions for adhesives. Boric acid and liquid borax may be the perfect solution to your needs. Here is more info on the subject.
Why Borax?
Borax is an important natural mineral and it gets its name from the boron compounds it contains. Its chemical name is sodium tetraborate and technically it is not the same thing as boric acid. In fact, sodium borate is a salt which comes from boric acid. Borax has been used for many years as an effective and natural cleaning agent.
Sodium borate is a white powder which is odorless and has a wide range of uses. For example, it can be used in eye washes and also a powdered poison for roaches. However, one of its most important uses concerns starch adhesives.
Borates and Adhesives
Adhesives or glues work by binding surfaces together so they resist being separated. Starch based glues are commonly used because they are a good choice for the environment. In fact, just mixing corn starch or wheat flour with water provides an effective paper adhesive and is commonly used in papier-mâché artwork. It is easily made with discarded newspaper, flour, water and something for a mold.
Standard starch adhesives can be runny and adding powdered borax is an effective way to increase thickness or viscosity. It also helps glue retain water and makes it tackier. In other words, the gel point is improved and this creates a more effective adhesive. However, powdered borax can be a health hazard and many of these hazards can be eliminated with liquid borax.
Hazards with Powders
When you use powders in an industrial process, it can create a great deal of dust. This dust can get in the air and into nasal passages, lungs and skin. However, when you mix powders with water and other ingredients, you create a liquid and eliminate problems associated with dust.
Once you eliminate dust you no longer have to worry about expensive and complicated air filtration systems, as the adhesive can be mixed in one enclosed are and then transported to the production area. Of course, it’s even easier and less complicated if you invest in a high tech starch adhesive mixing system which utilizes liquid borax and eliminates most of the problems associated with powders and ineffective adhesives.
