Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate and sometimes as sodium hydrogen carbonate, is similar to borax in many ways. Both borax and baking soda are used in different ways for different reasons, both in our homes, as well as in industry. However, borax is more popularly known than baking soda when it comes to deepening and darkening your laser engravings. For people in the UK, borax is illegal to purchase, so the mineral of 'choice' in baking soda. The difference between the two, when used for laser engraving, can vary with regard to the results you get from your finished project. First, a brief intro...
Borax
Borax is a natural mineral salt that is a substance found in deserts throughout the world. It's also used in many different products such as laundry detergent.
Though, borax has some drawbacks. For example, borax isn't safe for people who have sensitive skin or allergies--it can cause rashes or itching when used on the skin!
Baking Soda
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate and sometimes as sodium hydrogen carbonate, is similar to borax in many ways. Both are natural substances that have been used for different reasons throughout history. But how do you use them? And what about the differences between baking soda and borax?
Baking Soda vs Borax: How They're Similar
Baking soda and borax are both natural minerals found in the earth's crust; they're mined from deposits of sodium carbonate (soda ash) or sodium tetraborate (borax). This means they have some chemical similarities: they contain equal amounts of sodium ions and hydroxide ions (which combine to form water), with an extra atom of carbon dioxide attached to each one--hence "bicarbonate" or "tetraborate." In terms of their uses, however...
Typical Uses
Borax is an important industrial mineral that is used in the production detergents and other consumer items. It's also commonly found in laundry powders, as it helps remove stains from clothing.
Baking soda, on the other hand, has many uses around your home--from baking to cleaning. You may have even heard of using it as toothpaste.
Borax & Baking Soda in Laser Engraving
Borax is more popularly known than baking soda when it comes to deepening and darkening your laser engravings. This is because of its ability to absorb water from the air which makes it act as a desiccant. A desiccant absorbs moisture from the air around it and keeps things dry. It does this by absorbing water molecules onto its surface where they become trapped in tiny pores on the material's surface. The greater number of pores that are present on a particular substance's surface area will determine how much moisture can be absorbed by that material at any one time before being saturated with water molecules and no longer able to hold any more within itself.
The concentration of borax in the solution can be adjusted to achieve different levels of darkening. But for a good jumping off point, for a light darkening, a solution of 2-3% borax in water can be used. For a more dramatic darkening, a solution of 5-10% borax in water can be used. It is important to note that the higher the concentration of borax in the solution, the longer it should be left on the wood before being wiped off.
Now we will be honest, we have not tested any baking soda solutions just yet, but it might stand to reason that a bit higher ratio than that of a borax solution would be a good place to start.
From what we can tell, the different results seen between Borax and Baking Soda, when used for laser engraving, are not extreme but borax tends to yield better results. That being said playing with the ratios of baking soda to water might bring out better results.
Baking soda is a great alternative for borax if you want to try something new or if you don't want to spend money on buying borax but still want similar results as using this chemical compound will give your project a deeper black finish without any negative effects on its durability or quality.
So, if you are looking for an alternative to borax in the UK, then baking soda might be the answer. However, it is important to remember that the results will not be as good as those seen with borax.
If you have tried the baking soda solution (or borax), let us know what ratios you have tested in the comments. It will help the community, especially those in the UK :)