This table of flux fusion reactions with borax is based largely on the book "Determinative Mineralogy and Blowpipe Analysis" by Brush & Penfield, 1906. The reactions are observed by fusing a crushed (and roasted in the case of sulfides) sample of the mineral in a borax bead embedded on a loop of platinum wire. The color is observed in the bead after heating the sample with the oxidizing flame and then the reducing flame of the torch (blowpipe).
| Oxidizing Flame | Amount of Material | Chemical Element(s) | Reducing Flame | ||
| HOT | COLD | HOT | COLD | ||
| Colorless | Colorless | Little or Much | Si, Al, and Sn | Colorless | Colorless |
| Colorless | Colorless or opaque White depending on the degree of saturation | Little or Much | Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg, Be, Zn, Y, La, Th, Zr, Ta, and Nb | Colorless | Colorless or opaque White depending on the degree of saturation |
| Pale Yellow | Colorless or White | Much | Pb, Sb, and Cd | Pale Yellow | Colorless |
| Pale Yellow | Colorless or White | Much | Bi | Gray | Gray |
| Pale Yellow | Colorless or White | Much | Mo | Brown | Brown |
| Pale Yellow | Colorless or White | Medium | W | Yellow | Yellow to Yellowish Brown |
| Pale Yellow | Colorless or White | Medium | Ti | Grayish | Brownish Violet |
| Pale Yellow | Nearly Colorless | Little | Fe and U | Pale Green | Nearly Colorless |
| Yellow | Pale Yellow | Little | Ce | Colorless | Colorless |
| Yellow | Yellowish Green | Little | Cr | Green | Green |
| Yellow | Yellowish Green, almost Colorless | Little | V | Dirty Green | Fine Green |
| Deep Yellow to Orange-red | Yellow | Medium to Much | Ce | Colorless | Colorless |
| Deep Yellow to Orange-red | Yellow | Medium to Much | U | Pale Green | Pale Green to nearly Colorless |
| Deep Yellow to Orange-red | Yellow | Medium to Much | Fe | Bottle Green | Pale Bottle Green |
| Deep Yellow to Orange-red | Yellowish Green | Medium to Much | Cr | Green | Green |
| Green | Blue | Little to Medium | Cu | Colorless to Green | Opaque Red with much Oxide |
| Green | Yellow, Green, or Blue of various Shades | Medium | Various Mixtures of Fe, Cu, Ni, and Co | (?) See Below |
(?) See Below |
| Blue | Blue | Little to Medium | Co | Blue | Blue |
| Violet | Reddish Brown | Little to Medium | Ni | Opaque Gray | Opaque Gray |
| Violet | Reddish Violet | Little | Mn | Colorless | Colorless |
| Pale Rose | Pale Rose | Much | Nd | Pale Rose | Pale Rose |
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