Global Food Dynamics and Boron: According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), nearly 1/3 of all fruit & vegetables produced globally are wasted each year. How can Boron Help alleviate this wastage?
Carbon capture technology has been developed for coal-fired power plants with FECM support for over two decades. Over 20 successful pilot-scale projects have been implemented including a showcase demonstration project which captures and stores over one million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Food Utilization, or food metabolization, is one of three drivers of Food Security (the other two being Availability and Accessibility). Food Utilization is all about the ability of animals and humans to use and benefit from nutrients in their food either through absorption or intake via the proper natural consumption of food.
The U.S. is boosting the stockpile of its rare earth minerals such as cobalt and lithium. Why? Partly to reduce dependence on China and partly to have a strategic policy towards rare earth sourcing and distribution. Rare earths are valuable resources used in E.V. batteries and decarbonization. What is the stance on boron and U.S. rare earths as a critical mineral?
The formation and applications of porous Boron Nitride have been the subject of popular research lately. Its high porosity and thermal stability will help pave the way for improving large-scale industrial gas and liquid separations, such as those used in carbon capture or water treatment processes by reducing the amount of energy required.
Calcium fructoborate has been placed on the European Union’s list as a novel food. It has benefits as a food supplement for adults, apparently reducing stress, osteoarthritis, and bone loss.
Sustainable Boron and Lithium mining: Borates and lithium are essential for decarbonisation, advanced energy, and food security. The extraction and production of these critical minerals need to respect sustainable principles to satisfy multiple stakeholders, local interest groups, and residents. A case in point is Valjevo in Serbia, where locals have successfully halted the Valjevo project until February 2022 until officials are satisfied sustainable practices will be put in place.
Boron at Fukushima: In 2011 a severe nuclear meltdown occurred in Fukushima at the atomic reactor on the coast. Authorities resorted to spreading a boron compound on the site to halt the spread of radiation. How did boron help mitigate radiation and meltdown at the time? How does it also act as an inhibitor in the nuclear rods themselves?
Boron Nitride is an excellent catalyst for reducing harmful PFAs. It is an organic metal oxide that breaks down PFAS into carbon dioxide and fluoride salt.
Boron inclusive technology shows how we can harness the power from seawater to bring zero-carbon energy worldwide. Decarbonization has been a goal for quite some time, and it seems like this year, governments will finally agree on stricter regulations that would make it possible to achieve this objective by 2050 or sooner. Boron has been working to bring sustainable energy sources for all, and Boron and Hydropower technology is an excellent example of achieving this goal.
Boron is a natural component of certain foods and is normally present in trace amounts in the body. Boron is commonly found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and some meats. It’s also available as a dietary supplement for those showing signs of Boron deficiency, but as it is an ultra-trace mineral. Let’s see how Boron acts as an effective immunity booster.
Boron green cleaning products are characterized as “safe for people, pets, plants, and the environment” on product labels. These products are indeed environmentally friendly. They are alkaline, non-corrosive, non-toxic in low amounts, and don’t contain any petroleum-derived chemical or phosphate compounds.
Boron wearable memory devices: Developing boron-based nanomaterials for flexible memory devices for wearables is being explored by researchers in Korea. The devices can potentially be used to store, process, and communicate data on the move.
Research has revealed that lithium can be extracted from boron waste. The connection between boron waste and lithium offers opportunities to create battery-grade lithium for supply in a sustainable manner. It can be done via three-phase extraction or by simply extracting lithium from boron clay by roasting and leaching. Both Rio Tinto and Eti Maden claim to be the world’s first to market with methods to extract lithium from boron.
Boron inclusive technology shows how we can harness the power from seawater to bring zero-carbon energy worldwide. Decarbonization has been a goal for quite some time, and it seems like this year, governments will finally agree on stricter regulations that would make it possible to achieve this objective by 2050 or sooner. Boron has been working to bring sustainable energy sources for all, and Boron and Hydropower technology is an excellent example of achieving this goal.
Boron Carbide is an impressive material; its unique crystal formation consisting of three carbon atoms and twelve boron atoms arranged in a dodecahedral pattern gives it the chemical formula B4C, making it highly resistant to abrasion.
Boron Podcast – As a wonder element with exceptional physical properties, boron is widely used in multiple industries and applications from aerospace to construction, automotive, and healthcare. But what exactly is Boron?
Boron Improves Quantum Computing: Quantum computing is the most efficient way to handle complex computations, but there have been limitations on capacity and performance until now. Now, an innovative new boron material, hexagonal boron nitride, has allowed researchers to produce stretchable supercapacitors.
Rio Tinto Mine. The Serbian government has finally revoked Rio Tinto’s licenses for lithium exploration in Serbia in the latter part of January 2022. The government gave in to the protesters who have been opposed to the Anglo-Australian mining company’s project on environmental grounds. Last year, the company committed to the project as global miners push for metals necessary to transition to green energy. This includes lithium which is used in the production of electric vehicle batteries. The project was already suspended in December 2021 due to environmental deterioration and forced displacement concerns.
Boron in Flat Panel Display Glass is an important mineral used in LCD and plasma television panels. It is commonly used in high-tech glass for LCD and plasma TV screens. Its use in these products significantly increased around 2000 as consumer preference shifted away from CRT TVs to flat-panel screens. Substitutes for boron are, however, beginning to appear given its presence in glass, which some consider an environmental hazard.
ABR Boron Facility: In a welcome move for ABR, the US Government has designated the Fort Cady boron and lithium site as critical infrastructure. Given the high demand and limited supply for boron, the move marks an important step in securing supplies of boron for key industries such as advanced energy and for decarbonization efforts.
Boron Magnets Prize: Dr. Masato Sagawa, President of NDFEB Corporation in Kyoto, Japan, has been awarded the 2022 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for innovative work on Boron magnets. He invented the neodymium-iron-borate magnet, which is at the heart of green energy and carbon reduction efforts, powering wind turbines and other renewable systems.
Boron steel is a material that modern agricultural and industrial machinery manufacturers rely on to produce devices of the highest quality.
Boron is a valuable and versatile mineral, with uses ranging from aerospace to automotive. It’s critical in pursuing renewable energy, food security, and decarbonization.
European farmers face a growing problem with fertilizer supply and pricing this spring due partly to a sluggish global economy, tight supply, and trade embargoes driving up prices.
Balancing Habitat versus Critical Mineral Mining: Lithium and boron are two examples of crucial minerals essential in reducing our planet’s carbon footprint for industries such as defense, automotive, construction, aviation, and aerospace. It is challenging to preserve the natural environment when starting new mines to extract these resources. How do companies such as Rio Tinto, American Pacific Borates (currently rebranding to 5E Advanced Materials), and Ioneer manage this dilemma and obtain the permits necessary in their respective locations?
Boron Rocket Fuel: Boron has a high intrinsic energy density. It is inexpensive, plentiful, and stable, making it a good choice for solid rocket fuels and an additive for jet fuels to increase their energy output. However, the oxide shell and its impurities make boron unreliable at the ignition point. Research is ongoing into overcoming these impurities so that boron fuel may be used more widely in space travel.
Borates in Metallurgy have been used over the centuries for both non-ferrous smelting and precious metals refining. Evidence suggests that gold-makers used borates as a fluxing agent even in Babylonian times. Borates lower the melting point and prevent oxidation. They also remove metal oxides and help to adjust the slag’s viscosity for easier removal from the molten metal. Borates can also be used in lead recycling and metal recovery.