176 Borates

Borates are naturally occurring minerals containing the element boron. The element boron cannot exist by itself in a natural environment, only combined with other elements such as oxygen.

Borates increase the mechanical strength of glass and are resistant to thermal shock, chemicals, and water. Borosilicate glass is used in a wide variety of products such as glass cookware, scientific glassware, and cathode ray tubes.

Because of the scarcity and limited distribution of boron in the Earth's crust, there are only a few borates that can be considered common.

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