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 

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 - Eti Maden
INDUSTRY SECTORS, MINING

The Economics of Boron Production

The primary source of both boron and borate is the mining of minerals that contain it. Borax, for example, was originally mined from a dry lake in Turkey before being found to be more profitable at other locations such as Alaska where deposits can be located within...

Critical Minerals
Company Profiles, MINING, SPECIAL REPORTS

Critical Minerals Crushed

Many critical minerals shares have been hit hard in recent months as the prices of these commodities have declined sharply. While the overall market has seen sharp declines, shares of companies involved in the mining and production of these critical minerals have been hit even harder.

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.

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 Rare Earths
Company Profiles, MINING

Company Profile of Lynas Rare Earths

Lynas Company Profile - Lynas is a leading global supplier of rare earths, crucial for many high-tech and green energy applications with operations in Malaysia and Australia. Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (ACN:009 066 648) is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange as a public company in Western Australia.

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.

Boron ABR
MINING

Borates and Boron Everything Mining

Everything You Need To Know About Borate and Boron Mining It was named for the mineral borax, thought to come from the Persian name burah for that mineral. There are over 200 minerals that contain boron, but only a few such as colemanite and borax are commercially...

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.

Critical Mineral Boron in the Mojave Desert
MINING

Critical Mineral Boron in the Mojave Desert

Critical mineral boron is used in various applications, from agriculture to nuclear power. It's also one of the few minerals we don't have enough. As with other strategic minerals, obtaining a license for production is hard given the environmental impact on the land.

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.

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.

FEAM and Solar Energy
ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING

FEAM And Solar Energy Systems

5E Advanced Materials, Inc. (“5E”) (Nasdaq: FEAM)(ASX: 5EA) has signed a research agreement with Boston College to explore the creation of innovative solar energy systems to help make renewable energy more affordable and accessible.

Boron and EV Batteries
Batteries and Capacitors, Company Profiles, RESEARCH

Company Profile of Li-S Energy Limited – Boron Battery

Li-S Energy Limited, established in 2019, is an Australian company, a joint venture between Li-S Energy's founding shareholders, PPK Group, BNNT Technology, and Deakin University. Its purpose is to develop a new battery technology that incorporates Boron Nitride Nanotubes, which are more efficient, lower cost, and greener than current batteries for markets including automotive, defense and aviation.

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.

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.

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.

Boron Oil Extraction
MINING, SCIENCE

Boron Oil Extraction

Apart from being more environmentally friendly than competing metal cross-linkers used in oil and gas stimulation, borates’ unique properties and behavior make them an ideal option for multiple oilfield applications including retarder in concrete, lubricant, alkaline buffer to reduce water hardness, lost circulation treatments, and profile control, alkaline surfactant, hydrogen sulfide scavenger (an oxidizer of hydrogen sulfide gas), pulsed neutron well logging and hydraulic fracturing fluids.

Boron-ESG-Quarry
DECARBONIZATION, MINING

Boron, ESG and the Mining Industry

The ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework is growing in significance for mining companies, including those involved in boron extraction. ESG is a set of practices that mines have to comply with to ensure their future sustainability. It will become an integral part of every mining operation worldwide shortly. ESG compliance is difficult for some mines because it requires them to alter their production methods or management style. However, it is not only possible but necessary.

Argentina - Country Profile
MINING

Country Profile of Argentina

Argentina is the fifth-largest producer of natural borates. Deposits of borate can be found throughout Argentina, including in the provinces of Neuquén (Gran Chaco), Rio Negro, San Juan, and Mendoza (Cordoba). The first boric acid in Argentina was produced in 1894 at the La Plata mine when sodium tetraborate ore was extracted for the first time. The country became a major producer in 1900.

Boron Lithium Extraction 1024x576
MINING

Exciting Lithium by-product at ABR US Boron Facility

Giving impetus to its drive to be a substantial player in the advanced energy eco-system of the region and beyond, American Pacific Borates Limited (ASX:ABR) (ABR or the Company) is exploring partner options for a potential by-product lithium production from its Fort Cady Integrated Boron Facility in Southern California.

Boron Value Chain - Sourcing to End-Use Applications | Borates Today
INDUSTRY SECTORS, MINING

The Boron Value Chain

Borates are boron containing compounds that offer many benefits to industries like construction, electronics, and water treatment. They are also useful in food processing and agriculture as a fertilizer or pesticide. There is scope to explore the value chain of borates from extraction to distribution. What does it take to create/enhance the value of borate products in different markets and applications?

Borates in Bolivia
MINING

Country Profile of Bolivia

Bolivia is one of the largest producers of borates globally after Turkey, the USA, Chile, and Argentina. Extraction and production of ulexite is the main activity centered around the south of the country, with both public and private companies involved. Exports are mostly sodium borates and boric acid, with Brazil and China among the largest buyers.

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.

Boron – The Building Block of Urbanization

Boron – The Building Block of Urbanization

Boron is a metal useful to modern societies for over 100 years. It is most commonly available as borax in household cleaning products. Or, as the boric acid in eye drops and mouthwashes. However, it has many other uses in urbanization. It is present in construction...

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.

Boron in Construction

Boron in Construction

Boron is a key element in industrial construction - the construction of businesses with manufacturing plants, power plants, refineries. It is a strengthening additive in concrete, steel, and aluminum alloys for structural support. It also helps prevent corrosion by shielding against corrosive agents like saltwater or chlorine. Boron also plays a vital role in steel production by acting as a fluxing agent during the smelting process.

ABR Boron Production 3x

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.

Balancing Habitat versus Critical Mineral 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?

3 Lithium Stocks to Watch

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 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.

Valjevo Project and Sustainable Boron, Lithium 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 and U.S. Rare Earths

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?

Podcast – Boron Markets Ultimate Guide Part 2

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.

Boric Acid Companies

Boric Acid Companies

The boric acid market is fragmented with the presence of numerous players. These vendors compete based on R&D, quality, price, innovations, marketing strategies, market expansion, investments, and distribution networks. Some vendors have high investment capabilities, and they constantly focus on increasing their production capacities. Although the increase in demand from developing countries will offer immense growth opportunities, the threat of substitutes will challenge the growth of the market participants.

Boron Extraction risk and rewards

Boron Extraction risk and rewards

As a result of climate change, boron is becoming more and more sought after to cope with Decarbonization initiatives and Advanced Energy applications to reduce fuel and energy costs and reduce pollution levels. As global temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, we can expect an even greater need for boron to develop renewable energy sources. Use of Boron is also promoted in government regulations such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Power Plan to meet stricter emission standards for power plants.

Boron and the war on Cancer

Boron and the war on Cancer

Boron is a natural mineral that helps with different aspects of health. One of the most important roles it plays in our bodies is to help maintain healthy tissues. This includes bones and cells. It is an effective treatment for many types of cancer. Because it can stop tumor growth and reduce inflammation in the body. Let’s take a look at how this mineral works its magic on some common cancers. So does Boron battle cancer?