A chemical compound or salt formed from boron and oxygen, commonly used in cleaning products, ceramics, and glass manufacturing.
From 'boron' (element named from 'borax') plus the chemical suffix '-ate' indicating an oxygen-containing compound. Became standardized in chemistry in the 1800s.
Borax and borates have been used for thousands of years—ancient Egyptians used borax in mummification, but scientists didn't understand the chemistry until the Industrial Revolution!
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