Turkey and Boron
Today, we’re going to look at Turkey and Boron, which is the world’s largest producer of boron through the government-owned Eti Maden.
Turkey is blessed with abundant natural resources. Its boron reserves are a prime example. With enough reserves to cover global demand for the next 500 years, Turkey stands first in market share and manufactures and markets 62% of the world’s boron.
Turkey
An impressive 72% of all global reserves valued at over 800 million tons can be found in Turkey alone, which is a testament to the country’s immense potential in mineral resources.
According to Fatih Donmez, Energy and Natural Resources Minister, manufacturing capacity within the country currently stands at between 2.6 and 2.7 million tons annually, with exports accounting for 2.5 million tons. He believes that this capacity could be increased easily if necessary.
The uses for boron have been steadily increasing in recent years, and experts believe that the global demand for the element will continue growing. As such, Turkey is well positioned to benefit from this trend, as its boron reserves are as seen the largest in the world.
Turkey holds 70% of the worldwide boron market and is the leading boron producer. Last year alone, turkey outsourced $1 billion in boron-derived compounds and products.
Dr. Selcuk Acar, a Turkish company PAVTEC’s Plant Director, estimates the global boron market to be valued at 50 billion US dollars. He’s confident in the country’s ability to achieve at least 50% of this in under 10 years.
Turkey’s boron exports have also jumped in recent years, driven by its various applications in defense, aerospace, and clean energy industries. And boron helps make materials more heat-resistant as well as providing strength and durability.
In the aerospace and automotive industries, boron compounds are used to create fuel for rockets and other forms of transportation.
In the defense industry, boron is used in armor for tanks and other military vehicles to withstand high-intensity blasts. Boron’s also becoming increasingly important in clean energy production as it’s non-toxic and highly reliable, which increases the efficiency of various renewable energy sources.
Donmez says that the boron carbide plant is essential to Eti Maden’s commitment to increasing the ongoing value produced from boron. With an export volume of more than $1 billion last year and estimates will reach or exceed the same number in 2023, it’s clear that Turkey has established itself as an international powerhouse for boron related industries.
The focus on research and development has also enabled the country to expand its usage of boron into new and different areas. With nearly 200 industries utilizing this element, there are endless possibilities for creating new products with added value.
Globally research has been done to explore the potential for boron further. Dr. Takahiro Kondo and his team at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, have created a hydrogen boride material, which offers a unique way to store and transport hydrogen without reducing efficiency. This could be the key to making green hydrogen use more practical.
Working with major automobile companies in Japan, Dr. Kondo and his team aim to verify the characteristics of Hydrogen Borhide within the next two years.
A further application with enormous potential is using a boron compound to generate electricity through a fusion reaction. Traditional nuclear power plants generate heat through fission reactions. Aside from being highly priced, the process produces a lot of radioactive particles and necessitates the use of turbines to generate electricity.
An innovative technology being developed by HB11, an Australian company ,could revolutionize how energy is produced and consumed. Using lasers to create a fusion reaction, they can create power that can effectively deliver the grid with power.
This has huge implications for reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change and it also demonstrates the potential of hydrogen boron fusion as an efficient nuclear power source.
Turkey, as well as other new players on the world, notably FEAM in Southern California, stand to benefit from the adoption of hydrogen boride, fusion technology, significantly. With large boron reserves in Turkey, the country can produce power for centuries.
That’s all from Borates Today. Thanks for listening. Please check our website Borates today for more articles and information on all aspects of things related to boron and borates.
