PLANET BORON

We have only one planet. Resources are finite, and it is our joint responsibility to take action to make the world a better place for future generations. Planet Boron is an initiative by Borates Today to harness the strengths and benefits of one of the world’s most precious resources – BORON – and publish news and events about boron’s availability, applications, benefits for achieving the collective vision and shared goals as we embrace multiple goals related to four key areas: Decarbonization; Advanced Energy, Food Security and Micronutrients.

DECARBONIZATION

ADVANCED ENERGY

FOOD SECURITY

MICRONUTRIENTS

Agriculture, Crop Management, FOOD SECURITY

Boron in Agriculture

The use of boron is a crucial component to farming success. Because without adequate levels, crops cannot grow or can harvest successfully. Soil with inadequate amounts of elemental boron does not provide enough nutrients that plants need to survive. Thus, it leads them into an unhealthy state which causes their growth rates to decrease immensely. This happens not just when first planted but also during maturity and harvest periods.

FOOD SECURITY

Food Insecurity: The Crisis For America

The food insecurity problem in America has been plaguing the country for years. Boron will help combat this issue and promote better nutrition.

Boron inside - in Boron Neodymium Magnets

ADVANCED ENERGY

Rare Earth Magnet Producers Using Boron to Get Tax Credits

Boron is giving a shot in the arm to North America’s alternate energy transition initiatives, a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced legislation to extend tax credits to companies that domestically produce rare earth magnets with boron and other minerals inside.

DECARBONIZATION, Industrial emissions

Boron as an energy carrier to increase efficiency

Boron and its compounds have a vital role to play as energy carriers to increase efficiency. The chemical industry has long been a significant contributor to climate change. Many chemicals are manufactured using fossil fuels, which produce greenhouse gases when...

Food Availability, FOOD SECURITY, Human Health

Food Security Policies for Developing Nations

Developing nations must insure they have policies and practices that insure the supply of Boron and Borates for the Food Security. Boron and Borates are central to crop yield, nutrition value and the health of nations and hence Security of it people.

ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING

Underground Mining Pursuit: Hard Rock Mining

Underground mining is a practice that delves deep for precious metals, gems and other valuable minerals. Hard rock mining venture to extract minerals from hard ore or sedimentary rocks.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Aerospace, Defense

Boron: The Holy Grail of Aerospace and Defense

It is one of the most common metals on our planet, but did you know that it has uses outside the industry? Aerospace and defence have used boron for decades due to its ability to be doped with other elements. Let's explore how it can help your business stay...

Clean Fuels, Efficient Power Sources, Electricity Generation, Energy Management, Energy Management Systems

Boron and Infrared Rays: Applications in Energy Efficiency

It is an interesting element. It has a very low melting point, and it does not conduct electricity well. There are so many properties of Boron that make it a great material for building solar panels with. This blog post discusses the applications of Boron in...

ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources, Energy Management, Energy Management Systems

Boric Acid in Energy Storage Systems

Energy storage is a key piece of the puzzle in easing energy transition, and a new system developed by scientists at TU Wien can store a large amount of energy in an eco-friendly way.

Agriculture, Crop Management, FOOD SECURITY

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.

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.

Critical minerals - Sodium borate crystal | boron

ADVANCED ENERGY

USA Critical Minerals Boron

Critical minerals are vital to the future of technology and national security. Governments worldwide are beginning to realize this and have increased budgets to show how serious they are about acquiring access. However, specific challenges arise in securing...

Efficient Power Sources, Electricity Generation, Innovation, RESEARCH

Boron – The Secret Behind New Battery Formats

BNNT - BORON NITRATE NANOTUBES ARE THE KEY TO LONGER BATTERY LIFEWith the growing need for eco-friendly power as a result of environmental concerns, developing batteries with high power is of increasing relevance. Li-S batteries are attracting much interest in both...

Clean Fuels, Efficient Power Sources, Electricity Generation, RESEARCH

How Boron is Beneficial for Heat Conversion

How is Boron Beneficial for Heat Conversion? This is a topic of interest for many scientists, engineers, and chemists due to its unique properties. It is an element that plays a vital role in heat and other energy conversion processes. Additionally, it is important...

DECARBONIZATION

Boron and Carbon Footprint

Boron carbon footprint - A major problem in the world today is climate change and it has been a long-debated topic. Some people are convinced that it is not happening, while others think the world is doomed to an uninhabitable fate. The truth is that climate change is happening and we must reduce its impact on our lives. The Earth's temperature has been increasing over time, and this will have a major impact on our planet.

ADVANCED ENERGY

Double-Layer Borophene Created in Engineering Breakthrough

Research has led to a double-layer of borophene for the first time. This is significant because it could lead to faster, more efficient electronics that are also smaller and lighter than current models. Borophene is under study for less than 10 years but already holds potential as an exciting new material in engineering. The research team hopes that this will be the first step towards creating "graphene on steroids."

Agriculture, FOOD SECURITY

Boron on the Farm

Boron in farming- Boron has long been associated with crops like beet and brassicas and it is important for all crops but at different levels This article first appeared in The Famers Journal on 13 December, 2021 and appears on Borates Today by permission. © Andy Doyle, The Farmers Journal https://farmersjournal.ie Boron on the Farm

Environmental Protection, SCIENCE

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.

Agriculture, Crop Management

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.

Agriculture, Crop Management, DECARBONIZATION, Environmental Protection, Farming, Food Access, Food Availability, Food Stability, Food Utilization, Forests and Parks, Human Health, RESEARCH

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...

Carbon Cycle, DECARBONIZATION, Energy Management, Environmental Protection

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.

DECARBONIZATION, Industrial emissions, MINING

Decarbonization: Implications on different Sectors

Decarbonization, Boron and Mining The mining and metal industry is one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the world, generating a sizable percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions. How quickly has decarbonization been going on in the mining and metal...

ADVANCED ENERGY, Energy Management Systems

Hydrogen-boron Fusion Energy

Hydrogen-boron fusion is a new area with exciting potential for vehicles and transportation. There has been much debate about securing sufficient supplies of lithium and cobalt to power electric vehicles and replace two billion diesel/petrol vehicles currently on the roads.

Energy Management, RESEARCH

Boron Nitride Powers Thermal Conductivity

Boron nitride, also known as "white graphite," is a semiconductor material that conducts electricity. It is chemically inert and electrically insulating with no bandgap in the bulk phase that would allow it to emit light when excited by an energy source. Because of its excellent thermal conductivity properties, layers of boron nitride are often added onto other materials like silicon carbide (SiC) for use in high-efficiency power devices like thermoelectric cooler packages (TECs).

ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING, PODCASTS

Podcast – Turkey and Boron

Today, we're going to look at Turkey and Boron. Turkey is the world's largest producer of boron through the government-owned Eti Maden. With enough reserves to cover global demand for the next 500 years, Turkey stands first in market share, manufactures, and markets 62% of the world's boron.

ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING

European Critical Mineral Strategy for Boron

The European Commission has a solid policy on a raw materials initiative for access to critical minerals such as Boron. Going back to 2008 the initiative was based on three pillars: a fair supply from global markets; sustainable collection; and recycling resources.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources, PODCASTS

Podcast – Boron-based Polymers for EV Storage

In today's podcast, we're going to look at boron-based polymers for EV storage. Boron-based polymers such as BNNTs or boron nitride, nanotubes are two-dimensional nanomaterials with excellent properties for improving electric vehicle energy storage, given their high surface areas, large aspect ratios, and good thermal conductivity.

ADVANCED ENERGY, RESEARCH

Boron Nanotubes BNNT Stability for Electronics

The Boron Nitrate Nanotube is a novel material with unique properties, including high thermal conductivity and chemical stability. It has been used in many applications such as heat transfer fluids, lubricants, coatings for semiconductors, catalysts, etc., but its use in batteries was not explored until recently. The first report of the application of BNNTs in Li-ion batteries appeared only in 2020.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING, PODCASTS

Podcast – The Solar Power Market is Red Hot

The solar power market is growing with the demand for renewable energy sources.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources, SCIENCE

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.

DECARBONIZATION

Boron and Climate Risk

Climate change is real. The impact of the physical climate risk is already affecting the living population. Boron is a low-cost and sustainable solution to help control climate change effects. Climate researchers consider boron an essential ingredient in reducing global warming. It is helpful as a catalyst for creating one or more hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with lower greenhouse gas emissions. It is lesser than current HFCs commonly present in air conditioners, refrigerators, and other cooling devices.

FOOD SECURITY

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Clean Fuels, Efficient Power Sources

Boron-Based Furan Polymers

DECARBONIZATION

Critical Material Boron Powering Decarbonization

Boron is a critical raw material for many sectors such as solar cells, fiber optics, and semiconductor manufacturing. Boron production is also tied to other elements like lithium which are increasingly in demand.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources, SCIENCE

Boron and SOP

Boron inclusive technology is an excellent example of 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 if possible. Boron has been working to bring sustainable energy sources for all, and Boron and Hydropower technology is an excellent example of achieving this goal.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources, Energy Management

The Future of Solar: Boron and Energy Efficiency

Energy transition is a hot topic these days, and one way that scientists have been working on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels has been through solar panels. Boron plays an integral role in the efficiency of solar panels- without it, photovoltaic cells would not be able to convert light into electricity as efficiently.

Agriculture, Crop Management, FOOD SECURITY

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Clean Fuels, Energy Management

Decarbonization Agenda by American Pacific Borates

American Pacific Borates Ltd listed on the ASX (ASX: ABR) is spearheading the decarbonization agenda through borates, the company is actively engaged in efforts to make energy transition and storage sustainable and efficient, while working on solutions for...

Batteries and Capacitors, Chemistry, Energy Management Systems

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?

Podcast – Turkey and Boron

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, MINING, PODCASTS

Podcast – Turkey and Boron

Boron-Enriched Palm Oil

By Borates Today | Agriculture, FOOD SECURITY

Boron-Enriched Palm Oil

Palm oil is crucial in many food, detergent, and cosmetic products. It requires boron for several key processes in the plant, including pollination, fruit set, and cell wall development.

Boron and Chernobyl

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, Nuclear Energy

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 in Traction Motors

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, Batteries and Capacitors, Energy Management Systems

Boron in Traction Motors

Boron in traction motors – Smarter, better, cheaper, faster — those words are the mantra of today’s global economy. As organizations seek to streamline operations and do more with less, they increasingly focus on advanced logistics vehicles and mobile robots to help get the job done. From smart warehousing in retail to materials handling in manufacturing to telepresence robots in healthcare, robotic vehicles constitute a fast-growing technology sector.

Hydrogen-boron Fusion Energy

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, Energy Management Systems

Hydrogen-boron Fusion Energy

Crop Management – How Boron Promotes Food Availability

By Borates Today | Crop Management, Food Availability, FOOD SECURITY

Crop Management – How Boron Promotes Food Availability

Boron in Crop Management: Partner for Plant Health Crop Management is a dedicated branch of agriculture that specializes in the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of plant diseases. It also includes weed control, fertilizer use as well as irrigation, and...

Ford Boron Steel Bodywork

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, APPLICATIONS, Automotive, INDUSTRY SECTORS

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 Nitride Powers Thermal Conductivity

By Borates Today | Energy Management, RESEARCH

Boron Nitride Powers Thermal Conductivity

Boron and Photocatalysis

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources

Boron and Photocatalysis

The increasing reliance on renewable energy sources has led to many studies and research into boron and photocatalysis for applications ranging from solar energy, pollutant removal, artificial photosynthesis to energy storage and fuel evolution.

Boron and Borates Provide Stability for Food Security

By Borates Today | FOOD SECURITY

Boron and Borates Provide Stability for Food Security

Studies show that down-regulation of boron transporters can be readily understood as a natural adaptive mechanism for plants to optimize growth and function at different geographical locations with varying natural boron concentrations.