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

Boron And Decarbonization

ADVANCED ENERGY

10 Linear Boron Nitride

FOOD SECURITY

13 Boron Natural Food

MICRONUTRIENTS

Pure Boron Seedling
Boron, Powering Advanced energy
DECARBONIZATION

Decarbonization and Boron

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.

mining and decarbonization
ADVANCED ENERGY, APPLICATIONS, Efficient Power Sources

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.

borophene Boron advanced energy
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."

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.

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?

Boron Fertilisers
Agriculture, FOOD SECURITY

Boron Fertilizers

Boron helps to improve the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers by making them more available to plants and plays a vital role in Food Security. Industrial production of fertilizer has increased necessitating a need for sustainability with boron and nitrogen that drive industry.

How Toxic is Boron
Chemistry, Crop Management, SCIENCE

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.

carbon footprint
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. 

Boron Carbon Capture Research
ADVANCED ENERGY

Boron Carbon Capture Research

Boron Carbon Capture Research: Carbon capture is a way to reduce carbon emissions and could play a key role in combating global warming. Pre- and post-combustion carbon capture is possible. Boron's properties as a solid absorbent allow carbon dioxide to be captured more efficiently in the first stage of the capture process.

decarbonization rio tinto - boron
DECARBONIZATION, MINING

Rio Tinto Decarbonization

Rio Tinto announced a $7.5 billion plan to reduce carbon emissions to 50% by 2030 in October 2021. Rio Tinto stated that it aimed to reduce carbon emissions by half by 2020 as steel and iron ore producers push for compliance with international climate commitments. Rio pushed forward its 2020 target for a 15% reduction of emissions from 2018, five years earlier than it had previously planned.

Borates Today Hydrogen Boron Fusion
Energy Management, RESEARCH

Hydrogen Boron Fusion – Creating New Energy

Hydrogen-Boron 11 fusion -Boron Hydrogen Fusion - has always been the ultimate fusion reaction. It does not create radioactive waste and its fuels are both abundant in nature and non-radioactive. Few other researchers had studied this reaction as it was considered scientifically too difficult. The temperatures required to ignite the reaction are more than 100 times higher than that of the sun – a technical hurdle that has held back practical energy generation for decades.

Boron Hydropower
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.

Borates in Adhesives
ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources

Borates in Adhesives

Borates in Adhesives: Borates are used for home and commercial use. For commercial use, they are commonly used in adhesives by the paperboard and corrugated paper industries. The primary chemical compounds for adhesive applications are sodium decahydrate, borax decahydrate, and boric acid.

Boron Powers Space Exploration
ADVANCED ENERGY

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.

Boron Nitride Nanotubes
RESEARCH, Superconductors

Boron Nitride Nanotubes

Boron nitride nanotubes are a new material that has been studied for use in strengthening lightweight materials, such as plastics and polymers. It is also being researched for use in electronics, aerospace engineering, and medicine. The Boron Nitride Nanotubes market has grown steadily over the past few years.

Boron in Coffee
FOOD SECURITY, Human Health

Boron in Coffee

Coffee is one of the most susceptible crops to boron shortage. Boron in coffee is needed for coffee cultivation to improve yield and support healthy growth via cell divisions and cell wall formation in association with calcium, water uptake, roots growth, growth of internodes, setting, calcium uptake, lower aluminum toxicity, and drought resistance.

Canola
Agriculture, Human Health

Canola Needs Boron to Thrive

Canola is a Brassica family member with especially high boron requirements. Boron deficiency significantly impacts seed production; yields are doubled when 2 lbs of boron per acre are applied to the canola field with no visual anomalies.

boron solar energy
ADVANCED ENERGY

Boron and Solar Energy

Boron For Storage In Solar Energy
As our population and cities grow, so does our need for safe, sustainable energy. To meet global needs, we must increase the efficiency of our energy consumption and optimize the capacity of existing and emerging energy sources.
Solar and wind energy depend on strong, durable materials. Borax products help to enable these technologies—and we strive to make our operations sustainable, too.

Turkey And Boron
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.

Boron in Energy Conservation

Boron in Energy Conservation

In response to energy conservation demands, energy conservation is a system has for some time been implemented in homes, as well as industrial and commercial sectors. When we talk about energy conservation, boron is the most efficient and naturally occurring chemical.  Energy consumption adversely affects the economy on all levels; high energy costs are an impediment to economic development for any country. A determined effort needs are taken by both private individuals & large businesses alike to reduce their input of "energy" into our global ecosystem - which includes many aspects including economic output (gross domestic product). 

U.S. Renewable Energies Strategy to Benefit Boron and Lithium

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 in Food

Boron in Food

The highest levels of boron are found in plant foods, including fruit, legumes, and tubers, leafy green vegetables, kale, spinach, and non-citrus fruits. Boron can also be seen as a component of grains, fruits, nuts, prunes, raisins, and other non-citrus fruit. Boron is also found in lesser amounts in beer, wine, and cider.

Advanced Energy – Nissan EV Battery Move

Advanced Energy – Nissan EV Battery Move

Nissan is currently the only automaker with a complete lineup of electric vehicles, including full-electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and zero-emission light commercial vehicles. The company’s goal is to be an industry leader in advanced energy and zero-emission mobility by 2030. As a leader in developing new battery technologies to improve efficiency and power for their lineup of vehicles, use of rare earth metals and near rare earth metals such as boron and lithium is at the heart of the battery power program. But batteries have a limited lifespan. Once it comes to recycling, there is too much waste. Nissan is tackling this problem with Waseda University to produce breakthrough innovations in Electric Vehicles technology.

Double-Layer Borophene Created in Engineering Breakthrough

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."