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
Podcast – Lithium 101
Today, we're going to talk about lithium 101 - its chemical properties, where it's found and the mining processes to extract lithium from the ground, applications, market size, and demand for lithium. Lithium 101.
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.
Video – The Rapid Growth of the Battery Storage Market
Boron is powering the future of battery storage technology, making it an outstanding investment for those looking to capitalize on energy storage.
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...
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."
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.
Coconut Palm and Boron: The Nutrient Connection
Coconut palm (Cocos Nucifera) is a tropical tree cultivated for many uses. It produces large, fibrous fruit, an important food, and oil source for millions worldwide. In addition to being a dietary staple, coconuts make various products, including cosmetics, soaps, and detergents.
Electrification: The Key to a Connected World
Electrification is the process of using electricity to power something. It is essential for power systems for devices and technologies that we rely on every day. As our world becomes more interconnected, electrification will become increasingly important and Boron has a role to play.
Boron and Micro-Supercapacitors
Boron nitride (BN) has shown great potential for microelectronics in the architecture of micro-supercapacitors. Boron Nitride has a large bandgap (5.5eV), superior thermal stability, and high thermal conductance. Boron Micro-supercapacitors in the laboratory exhibit high energy density. They can also withstand harsh environments such as high temperature or electromagnetic interference much better than silicon-based micro capacitors.
Geothermal Energy Could Solve Lithium Shortage
The potential for geothermal energy to provide a sustainable and reliable energy source is well known. But what is less appreciated is geothermal energy's role in solving one of the 21st century's most pressing challenges.
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.
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.
Podcast – Mining Decarbonization
In today's podcast, we're going to look at decarbonization opportunities in the mining industry and how mining can help achieve net zero emissions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Boron in Bioconversion
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.
Nissan EV Battery
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.
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 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.
Lithium Battery Pack Prices Set to Soar
Lithium battery packs have skyrocketed in price over the past two years, and this surge looks poised to continue with no signs of subsiding through 2023.
Boron in Foods
The micronutrient boron is essential for our health. Boron in foods is found in various foods like apples, avocados, nuts, peanuts, coffee, etc., it helps to maintain healthy bones, regulates hormones, and improves cognitive function.
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.
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.
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...
Boron Fertilizer and Corn Plant Yield
The corn plant is a popular houseplant for its attractive and shiny leaves. Corn is a major food source for humans and animals and is used to manufacture many products, including biofuels. But did you know that a corn plant needs boron to grow and develop properly?
Boron Advanced Energy: Special Report
Borate Today's Special Report on Advanced Energy looks into the issues surrounding this hot topic and examines how Boron and Borates can support initiatives and innovations to improve energy supplies and energy management systems. This free report is available for download today and covers the following topics:
Boron Renewable Energy
Boron is an essential element of renewable energy. The use of other materials in the production process is reduced. Carbon emissions are decreased by using borates for insulation or fire-retardant purposes. Boron has many properties which make it a good candidate for this purpose. It plays a prominent role as we work to reduce our dependency on traditional methods like fossil fuels.
Sustainable Farming: 5 Tips For A Greener Future
Sustainable farming is an approach to agriculture that focuses on producing food in an environmentally sustainable way. There are various such practices that are explained in the article.
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).
Global Warming: Boron is Key
Global warming: Boron is key. It is a key element in combatting carbon emissions and fuel efficiency. It is an essential component of solar panels and wind turbines and is used to manufacture highly efficient batteries.
Boron and Energy Management Systems
Advanced energy is a concept that has been around for centuries. It is the idea of using less fuel to do more work. Energy management systems using new minerals such as boron are becoming an integral part of advanced energy. They help minimize power generation...
Alkaline Boron – a Balancing Force in Nature
Alkaline Balancing pH is a key component to creating an environment that is healthy for life. Boron, a non-metal found harmlessly and naturally combined with oxygen as borates, helps create this balance. Boron is a key element that can be beneficial for your health...
Pomegranate Fruit and Boron
Pomegranate fruit is an excellent source of vitamins C and K, antioxidants, and other minerals. However, the fruit may lose its quality due to fruit cracking. This is due to inadequate water management or lacking essential micronutrients such as boron and calcium.
Battery Systems for Advanced Energy Management
Advanced energy Energy is the next big thing in an increasingly competitive market. The most important contributors to this are battery production, so it's time for investors and analysts to get up-to-date on their latest trends. Energy storage has been a key...
Food Security and Boron: A Force For Good
Every year, over 10 million people die of hunger and hunger-related diseases. Nearly six million of these are children under the age of five; that is, a child dies approximately every six seconds. Understanding how this still occurs amid the ever-increasing social...
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.
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 Boron is used to Help in Oil Recovery
Modern civilization has been heavily influenced by the discovery of petrochemicals. The entire human race is driven by this natural resource, dubbed liquid gold. Petrochemical derivatives are overwhelmingly present in our lives --- as plastic bags/wrappers that...
Power Sector Faces Advanced Energy Challenges
The power sector is undergoing major changes. Reforms and deregulation are opening up opportunities for new players to enter the market. There are several mergers and acquisitions taking place that helps to create an even more diverse energy mix. It is also great...
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.
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.
LFP Batteries: High-Performance Batteries
LFP batteries have been around since the late 1990s. Still, it is only now making its way into North America and Europe by redefining the market for batteries and EVs.
Podcast – Boron Nutrients in Rice
In today's podcast, we're going to look at boron nutrients in rice plants. Boron nutrition is essential for rice growth and yield. It improves plant water relations and increases the total chlorophyll content in plants. It also enhances the kernel quality and reduces panicle sterility for rice plants.
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.
Podcast – Boron Supplements and Testosterone
In today's podcast, we're going to look at whether Boron supplements increase testosterone or not. Boron supplements are a great way to enhance human body metabolism. From boosting testosterone levels to blocking excess estrogen and SHBG. They help you achieve optimal health and fitness with ease.
Podcast – Lithium 101
Today, we're going to talk about lithium 101 - its chemical properties, where it's found and the mining processes to extract lithium from the ground, applications, market size, and demand for lithium. Lithium 101.
Decarbonization – Planning Future Energy Resources
The world is in a climate crisis and the key is to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. Decarbonization requires technology and operational cost reductions. It is one way to reduce carbon emissions while also providing a stable economic future for society. ...
Podcast – Boron 101
Today, we're going to talk about boron 101 - its chemical properties, where it's found and the mining processes to extract boron from the ground, applications, market size, and demand for boron. Boron 101.