Sunday 30 December 2012

Get to know two of the most important inorganic chemical compounds “Borates & Titanates”


The field of inorganic chemistry is very vast and consists of a number of chemical compounds. Let us have a look at two of the commercially most important and useful inorganic compounds:

Titanates – Titanium is a highly useful metal and exists in the nature in oxidised form. A chemical compound with titanium oxide in its structure is a titanate.
These are peculiarly white in colour and are insoluble in water. Apart from these properties, they are useful commercially because of their diamagnetic nature and high melting points.
Commercially, these are very important because of their various properties. Generally, these exist in two forms

  1. Orthotitanates – technically speaking, Orthotitanates have a general formula M2TiO4, where M stands for a divalent element.
  2. Metatitanates - these have the general formula MTiO3,

Titanates are prepared by treating titanium oxides with metal in a tube furnace.

Borates – these are also very popular chemical in a number of industrial processes. The most common one in the family is Zinc Borate or the borates of Zinc and is often used as a reference.
Physically, it exists as a crystalline solid, which is white in colour and is insoluble in water.
Some of the most important commercial uses of Borates include-

  1. Because of fire resistant properties, it is used as a flame retardant in plastic & textile manufacturing. It forms a porous structure that protects the underlying layer of plastics and thus protects it by acting as a flame retarding compound. For this purpose, they is used in combination with chemicals like red phosphorus and magnesium hydroxide.
  2. It is also used in the production of paints, adhesives, as well as pigments.
  3. Another major use is as an anti-dripping agent as it suppresses the afterglow in electrical components.
  4. Apart from the above mentioned uses, borates of Zinc are used as a wide spectrum fungicide (chemicals with antifungal activity for a vast variety of species), used in the protection of wood and plastics.
  5. Zinc Borate also holds an important place as a flux agent that is used in the manufacturing of electrical insulators in ceramic industry.
    The above mentioned information gives you a brief idea about two of the commercially most important chemical compounds in the field of organic chemistry.
    Both of these compounds are looked as very useful products in various industrial processes. These inorganic compounds are highly in demand amongst various commercial manufacturers because of the various useful properties that these offer.

     
    Royce international is looked as one of the best chemical suppliers in the country. Whether it is epoxy, diluents, compounds like borate & titanate or any other important commercial chemical; they provide the best quality for all of these.
     

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Epoxy resins - the perfect 'sticky tool' in the construction industry!



The construction industry is complex and requires many different types of resins and adhesives for the heavy duty work that work as perfect binders for various components of the material used in making residential buildings.

Kitchens are an integral part of homes and there is need to make sure that each component of your kitchen is well placed and built to perfection, with no scope for any sort of error in the strength and resilience and functionality of these components, Be it cabinets or countertops, there is need for such effective construction to be done that any of them are not loose or ill-fitting and don't slip out of their position for many years to come. This safety parameter needs to be paid attention to, in order to safeguard the people living in the home.

Countertops are usually coated with a thick layer of epoxyresins, which makes them not just glossy and attractive, but also well protected against the daily dose of hot or cold shocks that the countertops in kitchens might be subjected to. This increases the life of the shelf, protecting it and making it non-tarnishable and presentable.

Epoxy resin glues are one of the most commonly used adhesives in the construction industry. A few reasons for the wide use of the same are as follows:

Strength: It is one of the strongest glue forms and can be trusted for making bonds that are long staying and won't wither away after a couple of years of heavy duty use of the countertops or cabinets. This is the sort of strength you look for, when building the home of your dreams, because it is going to be an asset for you in the future.

Easy to use: Besides the strength factor, another important reason for the wide use of epoxy glues is the sheer ease with which it can be used. Be it a construction professional or an amateur, it can be used easily. Typical epoxy resin glue is used by mixing 1 part of hardener with usually 4-5 parts of diluent. This means it is isn’t something you will have to stock up on and can mix small batches of epoxy glues according to the different needs and requirements.

Cost affectivity: You will be surprised to know that despite being one of the most trusted and widely used glues in the construction industry, it isn't costly. You can easily procure sizable amounts of this glue without having to spend too much money.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Make your own cleaners and detergents this festive season!



With the festive season round the corner we all try hard to clean our homes and make them 'spic and span'. Cleaning the garage, the kitchen, even the attic, mowing the lawn, or for that matter trying to clear away the snow from the backyard, you have got tons of chores to take care of! And with this bucket-load of work comes a lot of expenditure! You are going to have to spend tons of money on cleaners of all grades- light and heavy, for different sorts of uses at your home and the vicinity.


An easier way out is to try and innovate and form cleaning agents at your own home! It's not as difficult as it may sound and you will save on a lot of money. Besides saving money you can also be sure of the fact that the quality of the agents being used isn't compromised as in case of ready made products.

Below is an easy 'recipe' for making an easy toilet cleaner!
  • A gallon of water
  • Nonyl Phenol about 60ml
  • A liter of Hydrochloric acid
  • A preferred scent

How much easier could it be? You wouldn't have to buy any more costly cleaning agents because you can make them on their own. Using things right out of the kitchen is also a great idea. Vinegar and lemon juice are the two best cleaning agents for stains on clothes and for general; cleaning. You need to be sure you don't use them in too much quantity however, because that might tend to harm the quality of the cloth and make it weaker in the warp and weft. Using it in the right amount can help you make the clothes speck-less clean and that too without having to spend oodles of money on costly detergents.

However handling these chemicals at home, in their crude form is not child's play and you need to be really careful about it. Keep them labeled and at a sensible place, away from any sort of tampering possibilities! Keeping them in a cool and dry place in boxes with lids is also very important. This way you can be sure that these chemicals don't pose a threat to you or your family, in the least possible manner. So just pick up your brooms and aprons and cleaners and get marching towards a cleaner, brighter and warmer home this festive season.

Wednesday 5 December 2012

What do you really need to look for, when buying skin care products?



Skincare is an inevitable ritual for everyone these days. So much so that men are as worried about their skin as the ladies and everyone is cautious while choosing skin products. There are however a few guidelines that need to be followed to make your selection better, so that you don't end up wasting money over the wrong sort of products for your skin type and still get no results.

Choosing products according to your skin type is essential and you need to actually read the ingredients. We know how you feel when you enter a supermarket and see stashes filled with lucrative, color, glossy covered, attractive creams, lotions, astringents and make-up products! They literally scream at you for attention and you innocently submit to the best looking and most seemingly promising packs! You are doing fatal mistakes for your skin here! Keep your eyes open for certain names on the ingredient list of the products you buy, so that you can avoid harmful ones and buy the ones that are actually worth.

Read on these few pointers below that can actually help you in making wise choices:

Alcohol: It is a widely used ingredient in many skin care products. We usually might mistake it for good alcohol, which can act as a cleansing agent for the skin. However there are a few types of alcohol types that you need to lookout for such as benzyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. It's because these agents might be a little too harsh even for the coarsest skin types and might result in overly drying skin and making it rough.

Parabens: This is a very widely used component in skin creams, especially in anti aging products. You however need to choose against it. It's because this is such as substance which is basically used for increasing the shelf life of the products and can tend to have a lot of side effects on the skin due to them, starting from minor ones such as rashes and redness to something as serious as skin cancer.

Anti-oxidants: These are a desirable content, when it comes to skin care products. You need to choose such skincare products that have anti-oxidants in them, because they give the skin a youthful, beautiful and natural look. It is one of the few things that actually improve the health of the skin.

Choose your skincare products wisely and avoid the use of harsh chemical products to have fresh and healthy skin for long.