Do Boron Supplements Increase Testosterone? Boron supplements are a great way to enhance human body metabolism. From boosting testosterone levels to blocking excess estrogen and SHBG, they help you achieve optimum health and fitness with ease!
Borates Today
Podcast – Increase your Libido with Boron
Today, we’re going to look at how boron can improve your libido. Your libido is a measure of your sexual drive. The good news is that there are some simple things you can do to increase libido, such as drinking juice with boron in the mix.
Catalytic Cracking Processes With Boron Catalyst
Fluid Catalytic Cracking catalyst provides flexibility to mild and moderate-resid feed units. The Borotec portfolio based on BBT uses boron in the catalyst formulation.
Borohydrides: Reducing Agents in Organic Synthesis
Borohydrides as reducing agents are essential compounds in organic and inorganic chemistry. Essential borohydrides are lithium borohydride and sodium borohydride.
Podcast – Boron at Fukushima
In today’s podcast, we’re going to look at the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 and how Boron helps to contain the radiation and the potential spread of nuclear fallout.
Sustainable Mining: The Future of the Industry
Sustainable mining is the sustainable extraction, processing, and use of mineral resources. It impacts the environmental and its economic feasibility.
LiFePO4 Batteries (LFP): The Future of Vehicles
Tesla announced LiFePO4 batteries as the new transition in all standard vehicles. But what exactly are they? Are they better than Li-Ion batteries?
Discover Electric Car Batteries
Electric vehicle batteries are rechargeable batteries that power electric vehicles over a sustained period and are deep cycle batteries.
Podcast – Can Borophene Replace Graphene?
In today’s podcast, we’re going to look at borophene, a relatively new compound of boron, which is an innovative 2D monoatomic material that can rival graphene in terms of strength and flexibility. And it’s also cheaper to produce and has a better conductor.
Metal Recovery Using Borates
Metal recovery refers to the process of extracting precious metals from various materials. One method for metal recovery involves using boron.
Sustainable Future Using Materials Science
Sustainable future using materials science is achieved through developing new materials and technologies that can help address climate change and resources.
Podcast – Boron Solar Power and Energy Efficiency
A solar cell or photovoltaic (PV) cell is made of semiconductor materials that convert sunlight into electricity. But how does it work and what role does boron play in solar cells?
Sustainable Agriculture: A Greener Way to Grow
Sustainable agriculture uses micronutrients such as boron, zinc, and copper to promote soil health and support healthy plant growth.
Boron Deficiency in Plants: Symptoms and Cures
Boron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency that causes crop production and quality losses. But what are its symptoms and cures?
Rio Tinto: Outlook for the Jadar lithium Project
Rio Tinto is keen to reopen discussions with the Serbian government about the future of its $2.4 billion Jadar lithium project, which was on hold ahead of election.
Podcast – Boron Market the Threat of a Shortage
Podcast – With new applications demanding boron’s use in decarbonisation and green energy, as well as the traditional applications related to agriculture feeds and commercial applications for glass and ceramic ware, boron is becoming increasingly valuable as a strategic mineral.
Boron Chemistry
Boron has interesting chemistry with varying properties. It is a semimetal that belongs to group 13 and is essential to plant growth and wide industrial uses.
Podcast – Steve Jobs and Boron
Podcast – Today, we’re going to look at the day Steve Jobs from Apple went to Corning in new York to understand more about toughened glass for his apple iPhones with boron inside.
An Introduction to Lithium Borate
Lithium Borate salts is being studied for use in lithium-ion batteries given its excellent thermal stability, environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness. Lithium Borate is an essential chemical compound in many fields. It has a polymeric borate backbone structure.
FEAM Announces Breakthrough Technology on Boron Facility
FEAM – 5E advanced materials – has made a significant breakthrough and has begun construction on its Small Scale Boron Facility (SSBF) with a leading publicly traded contractor in the US.
Boron Nutrition in Rice Plants
Boron nutrition is essential for rice growth and yield. It improves plant water relations and increases the total chlorophyll content in rice plants. It also enhances the kernel quality and reduces panicle sterility for rice plants.
The Threat of a Boron Market Shortage
The world market for boron si facing a shortage due to rising demand. Boron is a strategic material globally, and demand is projected to grow significantly due to its use in multiple industries and applications, from advanced energy to decarbonization and food security.
Podcast – Boron in Drinking Water
Podcast – Today, we’re going to look at the presence of boron in water and drinking water. Boron is traceable in seawater and tap water, and also in plentiful supply in the atmosphere. So what do we need to know about the positive and harmful effects of boron in our water?
Boron Deficiency In Woody Plants
Boron deficiency is widespread around the globe and constrains the growth and development of agriculture and forestry due to the lack of Boron in soil. Trees have a large body size, longer lifespan, and more Boron reserves than herbaceous plants, implying that woody species are more likely to suffer from long-term or mild Boron deficiency.
Lithium Hydroxide: Essential Compound In The Battery Industry
Lithium and lithium hydroxide are essential ingredients in modern batteries. They have growing uses as people rely more on battery power.
Overview of Boron Phosphide
Boron Phosphide is a chemical compound of boron and phosphorus. It is a semiconductor with high thermal and chemical stability, useful in high-power applications. Van der Waals heterostructures (vdW) are promising structures for future optoelectronic devices. Recent studies on vdW heterostructures investigated the electronic and optical properties of boron phosphide heterostructures in the framework of density functional theory (DFT) and tight-binding (TB) approximations.
Sodium Percarbonate: Oxidizing Agent For Organoboranes
Sodium Percarbonate is a powerful oxidizing agent, converts organoboranes into alcohol. It is widely available and easy to handle reagent with excellent yields.
Boron in Drinking Water
Boron in water is a significant consideration when it comes to drinking water. The EPA has decided that a lifetime dose of 1 mg/L of boron is unlikely to cause harm. Boron is a nutrient required by various species, and it plays a vital part in mitosis. This holds for green algae as well as several higher plant species. Among all the Boron compounds, Boric acid is the most absorbable.
Podcast – Use Borax Cleaning Products Safely
Podcast – Today, we’re going to be looking at how borax can be used around the house for cleaning. In multiple applications. Borax is often used in cleaning products because it is very efficient at removing dirt and grime. It can be used in a large number of applications around the house, including unblocking drains, steam cleaning, and garbage disposal.
Can Borophene Compete with Graphene?
Borophene is an innovative new 2D mono-atomic material that can rival Graphene in terms of strength and flexibility. Also cheaper to produce and is a better conductor. Borophene is categorized as the best alternative that goes beyond the benefits and quality Graphene provides.
Boron: New Suppliers Ramp up for Production
Boron, number 5 on the periodic table, finds its essential role in decarbonization and electric vehicles. It also plays a vital role in reaching safer climate targets.
Podcast – Does Boron Help in Weight Loss
Podcast – In today’s podcast, we’re going to look at whether Boron-rich food actually helps in weight loss. Can supplements like Boron help you lose weight more quickly? If, so how much boron do you need? And what food sources contain the most boron?
Borax: The Safe and Effective Detergent
Borax is used in cleaning products because it helps remove dirt and grime. But we need to handle it carefully or it can be dangerous if ingested by children. Borax is a white powdery substance that is also known as sodium tetraborate. Although sodium tetraborate is a salt of boric acid, it is not an acid, it’s a salt.
Boron Arsenide: Thermal Conductive Material
Boron Arsenide is a semiconductor material with the highest thermal conductivity. It has great potential for use in cooling electronic components having excellent electronic and thermoelectric properties.
Podcast – Boron Essential for Healthy Plants
Podcast – Today, we’re going to look at whether boron is essential for plants and healthy plant growth. Boron is a vital nutrient for plants. It plays a crucial role in regulating the development of root and shoot Meristem. And this helps complete the life cycles of plants from seed germination all the way through to a fully grown plant.
Boron Reduces Carbon Dioxide
Boron reduces carbon dioxide: Boron is one such amazing catalyst that reduces CO2 in the presence of only water and light irradiation. This serves as a foundation for a new and more efficient method of transforming CO2 into a usable carbon source for manufacturing fuels and chemicals.
Does Boron Rich Food Help In Weight Loss?
Does Boron Rich food help with weight loss? Can they help you lose weight quickly and how much boron do you need? Boron-rich food plays a crucial role in regulating the body’s metabolism. Even very low amounts of Boron can induce significant body weight loss. Boron appears to be important in burning body fat for energy. It also regulates carbohydrate metabolism.
Podcast – Boron and U.S. Rare Earths
Podcast – Today, we’re going to take a look at boron and US rare earths and the stockpiling policy. The US is boosting the stockpile of its rare earth materials, such as cobalt and lithium. But why is this? The answer is partly to reduce dependence on China and partly to have a strategic policy towards rare earth sourcing and distribution.
Boron Essential for Plants
Boron Essential for Plants: Boron is a vital nutrient for plants. It plays a crucial role in regulating the development of root and shoot meristem and thus helps complete the life cycles of plants from seed germination to fully-grown plant.
Boron Doped Nanodiamonds For Photocatalysis
Boron-doped nanodiamonds (BNDs) are a special type of diamond that has been modified with borons. They have been shown to enhance photocatalytic activation and thus increase their potential use in various fields.
Boron-based Polymers for EV Storage
Boron-based Polymers for EV Storage: Boron-based Polymers to Improve Electric Vehicle Energy Storage: Boron-based polymers such as BNNTs are 2D nanomaterials with excellent properties for improving electric vehicle energy storage given their high surface areas, large aspect ratios, and good thermal conductivities. Borates Today examines the potential for use of BNNTs in electric vehicle transmissions and batteries.
Fluoride Toxicity With Boron
Fluoride is a toxic chemical that can cause severe health problems despite the best efforts of the WHO to provide recommended levels of fluoride intake by source. Fluoride toxicity is seen in both animals and humans but how can boron help to lower toxicity.
Podcast – Boron Powers Space Exploration
Podcast – Boron Powers Space Exploration. Boron is an excellent choice for rocket fuel given its ease of manufacture, availability, and low storage costs. It is also a good additive for jet fuel. Scientists at the University of California Riverside are testing ammonia borane, NH3BH3, as an alternative to traditional carbon-based chemical rocket fuels. This could lead to carbon-free space launches.
Boron Trichloride
Boron trichloride is an inorganic compound with the formula BCl3. It is a colorless gas, which is highly reactive to water. Common uses for Boron Trichloride are in organic synthesis. Boron Trichloride does have several negative health effects so it needs to be handled with care.
How Toxic is Boron?
How toxic is Boron? Despite its low toxicity, boron can still be dangerous to humans if consumed in large amounts. It is well-known that excess boron can also affect plant growth and reproduction. In fact, toxicity of boron is considered one of the major causes of reduced crop production. In plants, high concentrations of boron can retard vegetative growth and decrease seed set.
Podcast – Boron Demand in Military Conflict
Podcast – Boron demand in military conflict. The tragic scenes unfolding on our screens daily of the conflict in Ukraine are a powerful reminder of the need for protective materials to minimise injury and fatalities among the military personnel and civilians. Military hardware requires strong, light, malleable, durable and anti-corrosive materials. Boron is a key material used in bulletproof vests, bulletproof armour, in helicopter skins and on aircraft as well as an anti-corrosive in weaponry.
Biden Administration Issues Critical and Strategic Mineral Policy
Biden Administration is taking strategic steps to safeguard the clean energy transition, protecting access and availability of critical minerals such as lithium and boron.
Boron and Nuclear Fusion
Boron and nuclear fusion: Is Boron the key to Unlocking Energy via Nuclear Fusion? For the past eighty years, scientists have been exploring ways to capture energy to provide an inexhaustible supply of quasi-free, green energy. Boron via laser technologies, may finally provide the key to moving beyond the laboratory to commercialisation.
Critical Minerals in Australia
Critical Minerals in Australia: The Australian Government has announced its intention to become more self-reliant in critical minerals as a result of geopolitical changes which threaten the ongoing supply of key industrial and energy commodities, which includes boron and borates.
Boron Levels in Apple Orchards
Too much or too little Boron can be harmful when growing fruit. Apple farmers are using scientific approaches to get the right balance of Boron at acceptable levels for nutritious apples. Apples contain many health benefits. A medium apple contains 0.66 mg of Boron, fibre, vitamin C, and potassium.
Apple iPhone and Boron:
Apple and Boron: Toughened glass products use Boron for its remarkable qualities and malleability in development and strength as a finished product. So how did Steve Jobs give the industry a boost to toughened glass production in the early days?
Podcast – Can Boron Help with Arthritis
Podcast – Can Boron help with arthritis. Borax is an interesting chemical compound that has several uses in the home. But what many people don’t realise is that borax can also help those who suffer from arthritis.
In this podcast, we’ll discuss how borax helps to treat arthritis and the different types of arthritis that it can help with. We will also explore some other benefits of using borax for health.
Country Profile of Russia
Country Profile of Russia: Russia is the fourth-largest supplier of borates to global markets, which present about 12% of the global total, with boric acid as the main export. The current Russia, Ukraine conflict is not having a noticeable impact on supply and production in the short term for borates supply. Still, Putin is considering sanctions on a wide range of minerals and finished products for export.
5e Advanced Materials Lists on Nasdaq
5e Advanced Materials Lists on Nasdaq: The arrival of FEAM – 5e Advanced Materials – on Nasdaq today is potentially a game-changer for Boron and strategic mineral supplies not only in the USA but also globally. Boron is needed for green energy and strategic applications in aerospace and defense as well as in large markets for (borosiliate) glass, ceramics, enamels, steel in automobile. How will FEAM build out its business and facility?
U.S. Renewable Energies Strategy to Benefit Boron and Lithium
U.S. Government Doubles Down on Renewable Energies Strategy to Secure Boron, Lithium MetalThe U.S. Government continues to assure mining producers that it is determined to secure strategic minerals such as Boron and Lithium for EV production and other advanced energy needs as these sectors are poised to grow significantly in the coming decade. The Biden administration is looking even more closely at approving domestic sources of electric battery vehicle metals such as boron and lithium.
Boron Joins the Rare Earths Club
Rare Earth elements are valuable because they have magnetic and optical properties which create technologies in components such as audio speakers, hard drives, camera lenses, MRI imaging, and monitors of all sorts. But there is a cost to mining them as post-mining purification processes create hazardous waste. Boron is a potential alternative, providing clean and superconductive, energy-efficient benefits while being cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
Podcast – Introduction to Boron Mining
Podcast – Introduction to Boron Mining. Boron was named after the mineral borax, thought to come from the Persian name burah for the mineral. There are over 200 minerals that contain boron, but only a few minerals such as colemanite and borax are commercially important.
Boranes and Borane Clusters
Boranes and Borane Clusters Borane is a homologous sequence consisting of inorganic boron-hydrogen compounds and their derivatives. A class of synthetic boron hydrides is commonly called boranes. Their general formula is BxHy.
Podcast – Boron Nitride Nanotubes and Wearable Devices
Boron Podcast – Boron Nitride Nanotubes and wearable devices. It’s an intriguing title but how come boron is being touted among the research community as a favoured choice for powering wearable devices of the future?
Boron Demand in Military Conflict
The tragic scenes unfolding on our screens daily of armed conflict are a powerful reminder of the need for protective materials to minimise injury and fatalities among the military personnel and civilians. Military hardware requires strong, light, malleable, durable and anti-corrosive materials. Boron is a key material used in bulletproof vests, bulletproof armour, in helicopter skins and on aircraft as well as an anti-corrosive in weaponry.
Ammonia Borane Powers Space Exploration
Ammonia Borane is an excellent choice for rocket fuel given its ease of manufacture, availability, and low storage costs. It is also a good additive for jet fuel. Scientists at the University of California Riverside are testing ammonia borane, NH3BH3, as an alternative to traditional carbon-based chemical rocket fuels. This could lead to carbon-free space launches.
Podcast – Boron in Foods
Podcast – Boron in Foods: Boron is a trace element found naturally in many plant foods such as legumes and fruits. Boron can also be found in beer and wine to a lesser extent, and is available as a nutritional supplement. It is thought to be beneficial in reproduction, development, immunity, brain function, and anti-inflammatory.
How Borophene was Discovered by Accident
Boron-based Furan polymers are a new class of renewable energy materials based on boron. These materials can provide portable energy sources, serve as catalysts in chemical reactions, and can potentially be used as electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. They are also highly biodegradable.
Boron-Based Furan Polymers
Boron-based Furan polymers are a new class of renewable energy materials based on boron. These materials can provide portable energy sources, serve as catalysts in chemical reactions, and can potentially be used as electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries. They are also highly biodegradable.
Boron-based Insecticides
Boron-based Insecticides: Plants and animals depend on Boron to thrive. As a pesticide ingredient, this versatile compound can control pests such as ants, spiders, beetles, moths, cockroaches, and others. Most boron-based insecticides are less toxic than traditional pesticides since they do not affect the nervous system or irritate the skin.
Global Food Dynamics and Boron
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 Funding and Boron
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.
Boron and Food Security Utilization
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.
Boron and U.S. Rare Earths
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?
Porous Boron Nitride
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 – Boron Food Supplement
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.
Valjevo Project and Sustainable Boron, Lithium Mining
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
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?
PFAS And Boron
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 in Green Sodium Batteries
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’s Effects on the Immune System
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
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
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.
Extracting Lithium from Boron Waste
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 and Hydropower
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: A Comprehensive Overview
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.
Podcast – Introduction to Boron
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
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 Serbia Lithium Boron Licences Revoked
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 Flat Panel Displays
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.
U.S. Government Designates ABR Boron Fort Cady Facility as Critical Infrastructure
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 for Inventor
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 In Agriculture
Boron steel is a material that modern agricultural and industrial machinery manufacturers rely on to produce devices of the highest quality.
Boron: The Essential Element
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.
How Fertilizer Prices Will Affect the Agriculture Sector?
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
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 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
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.
Boron Blue Diamonds
Boron blue diamonds – Diamonds are valued for their lustre and sparkle, making them precious commodities. Creating the beautiful diamond jewels that people adore as betrothal or pure indulgence symbols is a complex and lengthy process. Some diamonds are rarer than others. Believe it or not, Boron is the trace element that gives some rare diamonds a blue colour – the story of the Hope diamond is one such beneficiary of Boron’s colour.
Boron in Wound Care
Boron in the form of borate-based bioactive glasses effectively treats chronic wounds in patients across all four stages of wound treatment. As it is a synthetic approach, it avoids problems associated with collagen and animal-derived products. The healing potential of boron in hexagonal boron nitride and boric acid is immense.
Country Profile of China
Country Profile of China Borates – China is a net importer of borates with few natural resources. However, it still dominates in exporting finished products to global markets as the third-largest exporter. China holds only 3% of global borate reserves. China’s most crucial boron minerals are tincal, borosilicate, and ascharite. Liaoning and Qinghai are the main areas with minable borate resources.
Boron Fibers in Aviation
Boron fibers are used extensively in military aviation as a tape product to repair cracked aluminium aircraft skins because of their thermal properties and anti-corrosive advantages. It was first developed in the late fifties and used instead of carbon fibers that were unavailable in continuous lengths and glass fibers or with sufficient modulus. Boron fiber was the preferred product for the horizontal tail skins on the F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft and the horizontal and vertical skins and rudder on the F-15 Eagle.
Fluids, Fuel, Lubricants and Additives
Fluids, Fuel, Lubricants and Additives – Boron has been proven to be an excellent lubricant for engine components. University of Utah researchers found that parts coated with boron had 50% less friction than others. This may result in significant fuel savings and increased engine durability. Boron should become an essential ingredient in fuels and engine technology once its potential benefits are further clarified.
Ford Boron Steel Bodywork
Automotive makers, including Ford, are taking advantage of boron’s high tensile strength to build stronger, safer, and lighter cars. Boron steel is a crucial ingredient in the Ford Fiesta’s pillars and structural elements and its other car brands. Boron steel is steel alloyed with small amounts of boron. It is four times higher than the average high-strength steel.
Boron in Fireworks
Fireworks and pyrotechnics are used frequently in festivals and celebrations, as well as in military operations and military training. Barium is the chemical that gives off a green light in fireworks, but it is toxic. This can be resolved by substituting barium nitrate with Boron carbide. Boron carbide ticks all the boxes in pyrotechnics with its long burn times and high luminous intensity. There are a few concerns in terms of toxicity and environmental data to adopting it. Moreover, Boron carbide is cheaper than barium nitrate and is in plentiful supply.