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

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.

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.

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.

Agriculture, FOOD SECURITY

Citrus Fruits and Boron: What You Need to Know

Citrus fruits are an important part of many diets. Boron is a trace element used to produce citrus fruits for plant development and preserve consistent fruit yield and quality.

FOOD SECURITY

What is Food Security

"Food security is a condition that exists when all people have, at all times, physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life." The Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action.

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.

Ceramic and Enamels, Electricity Generation, RESEARCH, Superconductors

Boron a Superconductive Element

Boron is the superconductive element of the ceramic family. It's characterized by a wide variety of applications and unique properties.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Batteries and Capacitors

Sodium Ion Battery Facts You Need To Know

Sodium ion battery is a new kind of battery being developed to meet the ever-growing demands of electric vehicles and has lower cost and improved safety.

Food Availability, FOOD SECURITY

Gender Inequality In The Face of Food Insecurity

Gender inequality contributes significantly to food insecurity. Boron is an essential micronutrient that aids in the improvement of food security and, there are implications for gender equality by increasing agricultural production efficiencies.

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.

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, DECARBONIZATION, MINING

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY, PODCASTS

Podcast – Boron Energy Storage

Boron Energy Storage: The energy sector is transforming as the increased penetration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar is driving the need for energy storage solutions that can help balance the grid.

APPLICATIONS, DECARBONIZATION

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Batteries and Capacitors, PODCASTS

Podcast – Lithium Battery Prices Set to Soar

Lithium battery prices have been steadily increasing since 2022 taking both manufacturers and consumers by surprise. This shift marks a significant rise and is a trend set to continue over the next few years.

Agriculture, Crop Management, FOOD SECURITY

Boron Benefits Mango Fruit Yields And Quality

Mango fruit is one of the most popular fruits in the world, known for its sweet taste and juicy flesh. But did you know that boron plays an important role in mango fruit quality? What happens if mangoes are boron-deficient? And, how can the boron level be improved for higher yields and quality?

ADVANCED ENERGY, Solar

Video – Surge in Interest in the Solar Power Market

The solar power industry is soaring, moved by cost-cutting measures and government incentives encouraging the use of boron for efficient energy storage.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Clean Fuels

Clean Energy: California On Track To Lead the Way

California is on the path to clean energy by achieving 85% by 2030. With this, the state strives to become a clean energy leader in the United States.

Agriculture

Creeping Charlie with Borax: The Best Weedkiller

Creeping Charlie weed is difficult to eliminate, but borax can kill the plant's roots, preventing it from spreading, and taking over lawns or gardens.

SCIENCE, Superconductors

Magnesium Diboride: A Promising Superconductor

Magnesium diboride is an inorganic compound made of boron and magnesium. Over years, MgB2 has progressed from a remarkable discovery to a promising superconductor.

Agriculture, Crop Management, Environmental Protection

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.

Ceramic and Enamels, Energy Management, Energy Management Systems, Heat Resistant, Nuclear Energy

Advanced Materials Need Boron

How Boron Enhances the Value of Advanced Materials? Boron is an ingredient in advanced materials with a wide range of applications. It is mainly useful as a dopant and part of semiconductors, fiber optics, and other electronics. Boron-containing compounds are also...

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.

Clean Fuels, DECARBONIZATION

Deloitte Clean Tech Index

The Deloitte Australia Clean Tech (DACT) index is a global comparative ranking of companies. They rank organizations by recognizing their innovative and sustainable approach to business. Clean Tech stocks listed in Australia and was launched in 2008.

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...

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Efficient Power Sources

Boron in Solar Panels

Boron in solar panels is becoming more important in energy provision for advanced and developing countries. Over the past several decades, solar cell efficiency has steadily increased. This is due in part to the increase in the number of light-absorbing layers in a cell and partly due to boron in solar power working with silicon to optimize the energy generated by sunlight.

ADVANCED ENERGY, Batteries and Capacitors

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.

Environmental Protection, MINING

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.

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

DECARBONIZATION: Oil and Gas Sector Focus

It is no secret that the world needs decarbonization. For our planet to remain habitable, we need to lower the number of greenhouse gases in the air. Decarbonizing a material refers to lowering the amount or the intensity of carbon in it or by lowering the amount...

ADVANCED ENERGY

Food Hunger and Boron

Food Hunger and Boron: In 2020, between 720 and 811 million people faced hunger. In a world of plenty, where enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet, hunger should be a thing of the past. However, conflict, climate change, disasters, inequality, and – most recently – the COVID-19 pandemic means one in nine people globally is still going to bed hungry, and famine looms for millions, states the World Food Programme (WFP). Boron can help to dramatically improve food yields and is a vital micronutrient in human health.

APPLICATIONS, Batteries and Capacitors, BENEFITS, Clean Fuels, Electricity Generation

Boron Helps Generate Cheap And Clean Electricity

Looking for Clean Electricity? Boron to the Rescue! It's been a while since we've had a blog post about the wonders of Boron's electrical conductivity powers. Boron is used to produce electricity, which is great for those who are looking to save on their electric...

ADVANCED ENERGY, Batteries and Capacitors

Battery Storage is The Top Climate Tech Investment

Battery storage is set to be the most in-demand climate technology investment, and this is even more promising as boron can be used in developing lithium batteries.

FOOD SECURITY, Innovation, RESEARCH, SCIENCE

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY

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.

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.

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.

ADVANCED ENERGY

Wind Turbine: The Need for Permanent Magnet

Magnets in wind turbines are revolutionizing energy production, providing a steady supply of electricity with their reliable magnetic powertrain.

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.

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 Steel In Agriculture

By Borates Today | Agriculture, FOOD SECURITY

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 Secret Behind New Battery Formats

By Borates Today | 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...

Decarbonization Magic Ingredient – Boron

By Borates Today | Boronate Compounds, Carbon Cycle, DECARBONIZATION, Industrial emissions

Decarbonization Magic Ingredient – Boron

Many people are not aware that Boron has a huge role in decarbonization. The process of decarbonization is the removal of carbon from fuels and other sources to reduce their emissions. One such source is natural gas, which contains significant amounts of carbon...

Decarbonization and Boron

By Borates Today | 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.

Boron: The Holy Grail of Aerospace and Defense

By Borates Today | 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...

Boron in Energy Conservation

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, DECARBONIZATION, Energy Management, Industrial emissions

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).

Boron: The Essential Element

By Borates Today | APPLICATIONS, DECARBONIZATION

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.

Clean Fuels Using Boron for a Cleaner Future

By Borates Today | ADVANCED ENERGY, Clean Fuels, Efficient Power Sources, Innovation

Clean Fuels Using Boron for a Cleaner Future

Boron is essential when we talk about clean fuels for ecomonical future. The Advanced Energy sector is on fire in recent years as it continues to grow and innovate new technologies. It will power our homes, cars, and businesses for generations. To combat climate change, we need to cut our reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable energy is the answer. We are now in a position where technology is advanced enough.

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.