text: Boric acid, more specifically orthoboric acid, is a compound of boron, oxygen, and hydrogen with formula . It may also be called hydrogen orthoborate, trihydroxidoboron or boracic acid. It is usually encountered as colorless crystals or a white powder, that dissolves in water, and occurs in nature as the mineral sassolite.   It is a weak acid that yields various borate anions and salts, and can react with alcohols to form borate esters.
  Boric acid is often used as an antiseptic, insecticide, flame retardant, neutron absorber, or precursor to other boron compounds.
  The term "boric acid" is also used generically for any oxoacid of boron, such as metaboric acid  and tetraboric acid .