Thermal and kinetic study of hexagonal boric acid versus triclinic boric acid in air flow

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Boric acid is a very important inorganic material with diverse uses in optoelectronics, petroleum industry, medicine, agriculture, etc. Recently, it was reported on the modification of the crystallization system of the triclinic boric acid (TBA) to hexagonal boric acid (HBA), when a special obtaining procedure is applied. In this paper, the thermokinetic stability of HBA novel material was comparatively studied with respect to the well-known TBA, in air flow atmosphere. Both HBA and TBA undergo a three-step overall thermal decomposition reaction (dehydration), following similar pathways; from the thermodynamic point of view HBA is more stable—decomposition temperatures and ΔH are higher in this case compared to those of TBA. The kinetic analysis was performed by means of the isoconversional methods, for each step of dehydration observing different thermokinetic regions. Higher thermal stability for HBA enables it to be employed at higher temperatures instead of TBA, explaining why the triclinic symmetry enhances the formation actually of the pseudo-hexagonal crystals as crystal habit at the macroscopic scale. Lower thermodynamic and kinetic stability of HBA makes it easier to be activated and thus more instable at the microstructural scale: this is an indirect proof of the TBA presence in the usual surrounding conditions and in the same time raises the probability for HBA molecules to slide onto their crystalline layers due to the lability of hydrogen bonds keeping them and thus increased potential to intercalate with other molecules. The present results open the possibility for promising applications of HBA as a better lubricant for various industries, while in the medical sector superior cleanser, antifungal and antibacterial properties may be foreseen.