Which Borax?

[eSPhotos]

Happy new year all.

When a developer formular calls for granular borax which borax do I have to use?
Decahydrate (10 x H2O), pentahydrate (5 x H2O) or anhydrous (0 x H2O)?
Or it does not matter what I use.
THanks

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

Happy new year all.

When a developer formular calls for granular borax which borax do I have to use?
Decahydrate (10 x H2O), pentahydrate (5 x H2O) or anhydrous (0 x H2O)?
Or it does not matter what I use.
THanks

Decahydrate. Happy new year also.

 

[pentaxpete]

I have been wondering about this also, as my Borax just says' BORAX' and it looks like a white powder, not crystalline. If a formula has the Borax with H20 in then does the anhydrous stuff make the developer more active ?

 

[eSPhotos]

Thanks Keith. Decahydrate is one I bought.

Pentaxpete, someone will chime in after the new years celebration.

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

I have been wondering about this also, as my Borax just says' BORAX' and it looks like a white powder, not crystalline. If a formula has the Borax with H20 in then does the anhydrous stuff make the developer more active ?

I don't know Pete. If you have been getting good results from it, I wouldn't worry. It's only mildly alkaline and it's main function is a pH buffer.
http://www.borax.com/detergents/pheffect.html

 

[Ole]

Borax is decahydrate, by definition. Sodium borate can be anything, but only the decahydrate is called borax.