Digitalfire Ceramic Materials Database

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Ulexite

Sodium calcium borate

Formula: NaCaB5O₉Â·8H₂O

Chemistry %

CaO	13.84
Na2O	7.65
B2O3	42.95

Volatiles %

LOI

35.55

Ulexite is a natural source of boron, it is similar to colemanite. These two minerals are the only practical sources of insoluble boron for glazes (other than frits). It is one of the lowest melting non-lead ceramic minerals, it can form an ultra-gloss transparent glass at cone 06. Strangely this material does not appear to flux bodies nearly as well as one might expect.

Ulexite is a truly uncommon ceramic mineral in that it contains almost no alumina or silica, it is nothing but fluxing oxides. This mineral forms in very unusual geologic circumstances and can be found in very few places in the world. The chemistry given here is theoretical, actual deposits will have lower boron content.

The popular mineral Gerstley Borate, used by potters for many decades but now discontinued, is composed partly of ulexite. It was mined in the California desert.

Ulexite is available from Turkey and Chile. It is used in the fiberglass industry as a melter but its potential has never been exploited to any extent in ceramic glazes.

Out Bound Links

(URLs) The Mineral Ulexite
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/carbonat/ule...
(Library - Unspecified) Subsituting Gerstley Borate
This chapter in the book (and matching video at di...
(URLs) Ulexite at Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulexite
(Materials - Related) Calcium Borate - Ca(BO2)2 or CaO.B2O3
Anhydrous Borocalcite
(Typecodes) 1: GNM - Generic Material
(Typecodes) 1: FLS - Flux Source
(MDT - Member) Europe
Countries of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Unio...
(MDT - Member) Australia
We are working on this database and would apprecia...
(MDT - Member) Asia
All of Asia including Turkey, Russia, Indosnesia, ...
(MDT - Member) Africa
All of continental Africa. We are working on this ...
(MDT - Member) Latin and South America
Latin America and South America. We are working on...
(MDT - Member) New Zealand
We are working on this database and would apprecia...
(MDT - Member) North America
The decision about what materials to include in th...
(MDT - Member) Ron Roy
This is the traditional Ron Roy materials file. He...
(MDT - Member) UK
We are working on this database and would apprecia...

In Bound Links

(Materials - Related) Gerstley Borate - Plastic Calcium Borate
Colemanite, Calcium Borate, Borocalcite
(Materials - Related) Colemanite - 2CaO.3B2O3.5H2O or CaB3O4(OH)3Â·H2O
(Materials - Related) ABC Colemanite - California colemanite
(Materials - Parent) Turkish Ulexite - sodium calcium borate
(Materials - Parent) Chilean Ulexite - sodium calcium borate
(Materials - Alternative) Turkish Colemanite - calcium borate
(Glossary - Unspecified) Boron, Borate
The term 'boron' of course refers to the oxide B2O...
(Oxides - Material source) B2O3 - Boric Oxide
(Minerals) Borate Minerals
The major borate minerals are Colemanite and Ulexi...
(Typecodes - Unspecified) 1: GBS - Gerstley Borate Substitutes
(Materials - Name Brand of) Hydroboracite 30 - CaO.MgO.3B2O3.6H2O
Argentinian Hydroborocite

XML for Import into INSIGHT

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<material name="Ulexite" descrip="Sodium calcium borate" searchkey="Television Stone" loi="0.00" casnumber="167077-83-0">
<oxides>
<oxide symbol="CaO" name="Calcium Oxide, Calcia" status="U" percent="13.840" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Na2O" name="Sodium Oxide, Soda" status="U" percent="7.650" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="B2O3" name="Boric Oxide" status="" percent="42.950" tolerance=""/>
</oxides>
<volatiles>
<volatile symbol="LOI" name="Loss on Ignition" percent="35.550" tolerance=""/>
</volatiles>
</material>