Borax vs. Flux — What's the Difference?

Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. Powdered borax is white, consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve in water.

Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. A flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications to physics.

A white compound which occurs as a mineral in some alkaline salt deposits and is used in making glass and ceramics, as a metallurgical flux, and as an antiseptic.

The action or process of flowing or flowing out

Good-natured teasing or ridicule; banter

An abnormal discharge of blood or other matter from or within the body.

A hydrated sodium borate, Na2B4O7·10H2O, an ore of boron, that is used as a cleaning compound.

Continuous change

Cheap merchandise, especially tasteless furnishings

A substance mixed with a solid to lower its melting point, used especially in soldering and brazing metals or to promote vitrification in glass or ceramics.

A white or gray/grey crystalline salt, with a slight alkaline taste, used as a flux, in soldering metals, making enamels, fixing colors/colours on porcelain, and as a soap, etc.

Treat (a metal object) with a flux to promote melting.

(chemistry) The sodium salt of boric acid, Na₂B₄O₇, either anhydrous or with 5 or 10 molecules of water of crystallization; sodium tetraborate.

A flow or flowing of a liquid.

Cheap or tawdry furniture or other works of industrial design.

The flowing in of the tide.

(transitive) To treat with borax.

A continuing movement, especially in large numbers of things

A white or gray crystalline salt, with a slight alkaline taste, used as a flux, in soldering metals, making enamels, fixing colors on porcelain, and as a soap. It occurs native in certain mineral springs, and is made from the boric acid of hot springs in Tuscany. It was originally obtained from a lake in Thibet, and was sent to Europe under the name of tincal. Borax is a pyroborate or tetraborate of sodium, Na2B4O7.10H2O.

Constant or frequent change; fluctuation

An ore of boron consisting of hydrated sodium borate; used as a flux or cleansing agent

(Medicine) The discharge of large quantities of fluid material from the body, especially the discharge of watery feces from the intestines.

The rate of flow of fluid, particles, or energy through a given surface.

See flux density.

The lines of force of an electric or magnetic field.

A substance applied to a surface to be joined by welding, soldering, or brazing to facilitate the flowing of solder and prevent formation of oxides.

A mineral added to the metals in a furnace to promote fusing or to prevent the formation of oxides.

An additive that improves the flow of plastics during fabrication.

A readily fusible glass or enamel used as a base in ceramic work.

To melt; fuse.

To apply a flux to.

To become fluid.

To flow; stream.

The act of flowing; a continuous moving on or passing by, as of a flowing stream.

A state of ongoing change.

A chemical agent for cleaning metal prior to soldering or welding.

(physics) The rate of transfer of energy (or another physical quantity), especially an electric or magnetic field, through a given surface.

(archaic) A disease which causes diarrhea, especially dysentery.

(archaic) Diarrhea or other fluid discharge from the body.

The state of being liquid through heat; fusion.

(transitive) To use flux on.

(transitive) To melt.

(intransitive) To flow as a liquid.

(uncommon) Flowing; unstable; inconstant; variable.

The act of flowing; a continuous moving on or passing by, as of a flowing stream; constant succession; change.

The setting in of the tide toward the shore, - the ebb being called the reflux.

The state of being liquid through heat; fusion.

Any substance or mixture used to promote the fusion of metals or minerals, as alkalies, borax, lime, fluorite.

A fluid discharge from the bowels or other part; especially, an excessive and morbid discharge; as, the bloody flux or dysentery. See Bloody flux.

The quantity of a fluid that crosses a unit area of a given surface in a unit of time.

Flowing; unstable; inconstant; variable.

To affect, or bring to a certain state, by flux.

To cause to become fluid; to fuse.

To cause a discharge from; to purge.

The rate of flow of energy or particles across a given surface

A flow or discharge

A substance added to molten metals to bond with impurities that can then be readily removed

Excessive discharge of liquid from a cavity or organ (as in watery diarrhea)

A state of uncertainty about what should be done (usually following some important event) preceding the establishment of a new direction of action;

The lines of force surrounding a permanent magnet or a moving charged particle

(physics) the number of flux changes per unit area

In constant change;

Move or progress freely as if in a stream;

Become liquid or fluid when heated;

Mix together different elements;