BORON MINING

Sourcing, extraction and mining of Boron is a complicated affair requiring huge investment for this criticial mineral. Learn how the industry players are shaping the future of boron supplies 

Boron - Rio Tinto
Company Profiles, MINING

Company Profile of Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a major player in Boron mining. The company has been around for more than 100 years. And now it employs more than 60,000 people across the globe. In this blog post, we will take a look at Rio Tinto’s role in Boron mining and where they are located.

ABR Boron Production Triples
MINING

SEC Resources Estimate American Pacific Borates (ABR)

American Pacific Borates Limited (ABR) submits SEC Resources Estimate bring US listing for this company one step closer. The filing indicates an improved resource and additional potential for further improved scale with borate and lithium reserves. Given strong validated indications of borate reserves at the Fort Cady facility.

A Town Called Boron
MINING

A Town Called Boron

Scientists and mining professionals know boron as a strategic mineral that powers advanced energy and serve multiple industrial, agricultural, and household applications. But there is another Boron, a town called boron in California. Many of the population of Boron work at the U.S. Borax mine nearby, after which the town was renamed.

5e Advanced Materials Lists on Nasdaq
INVEST IN BORON, MINING

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?

Boron in Eyewear
Company Profiles, MINING

Country Profile Boron Turkey

Country Profile - Boron Turkey: Evidence of borates mining has been found dating back to Roman times in Turkey. Turkey is the world’s largest producer with 73% of the world's total boron reserves. The largest tincal deposit is the Kirka deposit at Eskisehir. Bigadic (colemanite & ulexite), Emet(colemanite), Kestelek (colemanite, probertite & ulexite), Kirka (tincal) are the main borate-producing regions of Turkey.

ABR Production 3x
INVEST IN BORON, MINING

ABR Boron Production 3x

According to a press release from ABR on November 16th, 2021, the company has announced 'ABR production triples' with a near tripling of production capability for the critical mineral boron at its Fort Cady operations in Southern California. Boron is becoming recognized as an essential mineral for use in multiple applications in decarbonization, advanced energy - batteries- and food security- as a micronutrient.

Boron 101
MINING

The Boron Production Process

Boron is a naturally occurring chemical element. It is mostly found in the arid regions of California and Turkey. Pure boron is extracted and converted into various agricultural and industrial products through diverse and complex processes.

Introduction to Mining Boron
MINING

Boron Mining Processes

Boron Mining Processes: Boron is an element that naturally occurs in nature. Borates mining producers  extract boron and borates from boron-containing minerals such as colemanite, ulexite, tincal, and kernite. The bulk of known borates deposits are found in Turkey. The USA is the second largest producer. Other regions include Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, and Peru. Commercially, boron mining is attracting attention due to its strategic importance in aerospace and defence as well as in green energy and advanced energy, helped by certain boron compounds.

Podcast - Billion Dollar Boron
INVEST IN BORON, MINING

Billion Dollar Boron

Billion dollar boron. In 2021, borates sales hit billions of dollars. Why? The demand for boron is increasing rapidly in strategic sectors such as aerospace and defense, zero-carbon, and advanced energy solutions, which depend on boron-based technologies to reduce emissions. Recent forecasts predict that boron demand will increase by 30% by the end of the decade.

boron critical mineral rare earth
INVEST IN BORON, MINING

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.

Country Profile Russia
Chemistry, Company Profiles, MINING

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.

CP Vulcan Energy Resources 1024x576
Company Profiles, MINING

Company Profile of Vulcan Energy Resources

Vulcan Energy Resources announced in November that its leading German site had significant lithium reserves with 181 milligrams per litre. Lithium and Boron can be found and extracted from Geothermal Brine. Vulcan plans to market its lithium as “zero carbon.”. Vulcan’s Zero Carbon Lithium business is different from current lithium extraction projects in that it causes no disruptions to communities or the environment.

Rio Tinto Mine Suspended
Company Profiles, MINING

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 Blue Diamonds
APPLICATIONS, MINING

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.

Rio Tinto Lithium Jadar Valley
MINING

Rio Tinto – Jadar Valley Lithium Project Suspended

Rio Tinto has found itself in the news again after its lithium project in Jadar, Serbia, was suspended after protests by the local community in Serbia. The backlash does not bode well for mining companies looking to open mines in response to a growing demand for minerals such as lithium that are fuelling advanced energy growth in multiple business sectors, including automotive, defence, aerospace.

ABR Boron Production Triples
INDUSTRY SECTORS, MINING

ABR Announces Exciting NASDAQ Listing

ABR, the Californian, US-based Boron mining company has announced its intention to list on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 2022 with a name change to 5E Advanced Materials, Inc. The NASDAQ listed entity will also support and maintain a secondary listing on the Australian Stock exchange (ASX).

Lithium stocks boron
INVEST IN BORON, MINING

3 Lithium Stocks to Watch

Mining for Lithium is not an easy job. To be cost-effective requires stringent procedures and regulations in place and also needs to have a decent turn-around time and stand up to the promise of being a long-term supply source for clients. We look at three Lithium companies that have not only shown profits through an otherwise tumultuous time but also served their clients' present needs with a roadmap for the future.

Boron Nitride Nanotubes
ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING, PODCASTS

Podcast – Novel Applications in BNNTs

Today, we're going to look at novel applications using boron nitride nanotubes. Boron nitride nanotubes, or BNNTs, are mechanically and structurally identical to carbon nanotubes. BNNTs, however, have unique properties that are electrically insulating as well as transparent because of the polarized boron nitride bond.

High Purity Boron
Company Profiles, MINING, PODCASTS

Podcast High Purity Boron

In today's podcast, we're going to look at the global high purity boron market, which will experience strong growth in the coming years. This is mainly due to the increasing demand for boron-based products in electronics, semiconductors, and the automotive sector.

Boron, Lithium - Sustainable Mining
DECARBONIZATION, MINING

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?

China Borates
Aerospace, Company Profiles, INDUSTRY SECTORS, MINING

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 markets
ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING, PODCASTS

Podcast – Boron Markets Ultimate Guide Part 2

Today, we'll continue our look at a number of markets where boron and borax compounds are used, including the Boron Trifluoride Market, Potassium Fluoborate Market, the Tin Fluoborate Market, the Permanent Magnets Market, the Super Abrasives Market, the Cubic Boron Nitride Market, the Hexagonal Boron Nitride Market, the Lithium BIS Borate Market, and the Cubic Boron Nitrates Market.

Orocobre Lithium
Company Profiles, MINING

Company Profile of Orocobre Lithium

Sinead Kaufman takes up the responsibilities to improve Rio Tinto Minerals' performance by taking it to another level. She handles a diverse range of commodities belonging to the mining giant. Her team is working at ground level pushing $3.2 billion into the metal Lithium.

Sustainable Lithium Boron Mining
Company Profiles, MINING

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 Waste 1024x576
Company Profiles, MINING

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 Demand in Military Conflict

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.

Tesla and Boron

Tesla and Boron

Tesla is an American electric vehicle manufacturer and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Tesla manufactures electric cars and battery energy storage from home to grid-scale, solar panels, solar roof tiles, and other related products and services. With a market capitalization of almost $1 trillion, Tesla is one of the most valuable automobile manufacturers globally. It uses lithium and boron to deliver alternative energy sources and boron to provide a lighter, more muscular frame.

Boron in Sports Equipment

Boron in Sports Equipment

Boron as boron fiber and boron steel has excellent tensile strength. Boron is used in sports equipment like golf clubs, fishing rods, tennis rackets, and bicycle frames. It renders them the required power, flexibility, lightness, and durability, thus, contributing to better performance. The sports goods company, Mizuno, has emerged as a leading manufacturer of sports equipment composed of boron.

Extracting Lithium from Boron Waste

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.

Billion Dollar Boron

Billion Dollar Boron

Billion dollar boron. In 2021, borates sales hit billions of dollars. Why? The demand for boron is increasing rapidly in strategic sectors such as aerospace and defense, zero-carbon, and advanced energy solutions, which depend on boron-based technologies to reduce emissions. Recent forecasts predict that boron demand will increase by 30% by the end of the decade.

Boron and Chernobyl

Boron and Chernobyl

Boron (B₁₀), which comprises about 20% of elemental boron, is one of the best neutron absorbers. It is dissolved in the cooling water of power plants to control the chain reaction, to absorb enough neutrons to remove excess reactivity in PWR plants. In both BWRs and PWRs, it is used in control rods to control reactivity and change the power shape of the core.

Podcast – Boron and Volvo Cars

Podcast – Boron and Volvo Cars

In today's podcast, we're going to look at the use of boron in the automotive sector and how Volvo cars use boron to strengthen their cars. In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for automotive parts containing boron steel due to the increasing use of hybrid or electric vehicles. This trend is expected to grow further because of growing awareness about environmental issues.

Country Profile of Boron USA

Country Profile of Boron USA

Boron USA: The production of boron USA and boron extracted products in the USA is a strategic activity. Borates extraction as high-end minerals contributes to the advanced technology of industries such as aerospace and defence. They are also important to secure food supply in domestic agriculture, and contribute to decarbonisation efforts. The USA is a net importer of borates given Eti Maden’s control of supply and declining production by Rio Tinto but new sources – the Fort Cady project by ABR – will address this imbalance

Country Profile of China

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.

Rio Tinto Mine Serbia Lithium Boron Licences Revoked

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 Joins the Rare Earths Club

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.