Borax Studies by Kevin Krautgartner

Borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) and borate minerals have diverse industrial applications. They’re used in the production of glass, ceramics and enamels due to their ability to lower melting points and improve strength, and they’re also essential in manufacturing fibreglass, insulation and as a component in detergents and cleaning agents.

This project shows a rarely used method of mining borax from the air. Wells are drilled into the lakebed to reach the brine layer below the surface and pumps are used to draw the brine solution out. The extracted brine is then pumped into large evaporation ponds or pans, which have a large surface area and allow the sun and natural evaporation to concentrate the minerals within the brine. Over time, as the water evaporates, borax and other minerals become more concentrated and highly saturated colours are visible on the surface.