# BORON
Robert D. Crangle, Jr.

Domestic survey data and tables were preparedby ChristopherH. Lindsay, statistical assistant, and the world production table was prepared by Lisa D. Miller, international data coordinator.

U.S. consumption ofminerals and compounds reported inboron oxide continued to increase in 20II; quantities are withheld to avoid disclosing companyproprietary data (table I). Turkey and the United States were the world's leading producers ofboron minerals (table 6). World production ofboron minerals increased in 2011 to an estimated 4.55 million metric tons (Mt) compared with 4.05 Mt in 2010 (excluding U.S. production). The United States exported 235,000 metric tons (t) ofborie acid,

a decrease from 264,000 t in 20IO. In 20II, 492,000 t ofsodium borates was exported, an increase from 423,000 tin 2010 (tables 1,4). Boron imports consistedprimarily ofborax, boric acid, colemanite, and ulexite (tables 1,5).

Elemental boron is a metalloid that had limited commercial applications. The main applications were as a doping agent in the manufacture ofsemiconductors and as an ignition source in airbags. The global consumptionrate ofelemental boron was estimated to be 15 metric tons peryear (tlyr). Boron compounds, chiefly borates, are commercially important; therefore, boron products are pJiced and sold based on boric oxide content (BP3)' which varies by ore and compound, and on the absence or'presence ofsodium and calcium (table 2). Borax, one ofthe most importantboron minerals for industrial'use, is a white crystalline substance chemically known as sodium tetraborate decahydrate and is found in nature as the mineral tincal. Boric acid, also known as orthoboric acid or boracic acid, is a white, colorless crystalline solid sold intechnical, national formulary, and special quality grades as granules orpowder. Colemanite (hydrated calcium borate), kernite (hydrated sodium borate), tincal, and ulexite (hydrated sodium calcium borate) were the minerals ofmost commercial importance in the United States (table 2).



### Production

Fourminerals make up 90% ofthe borates uscd by industry worldwide: the sodium borates tincal and kernite, the calcium borate colemanite, and the sodium-calcium borate ulexite. Borate deposits are associatedwith volcanic activity and arid climates, and the largest borate deposits are located in the MojaveDesert ofthe United States, theAlpide belt in southern Asia, and theAndeanbelt ofSouthAmerica. As a result, most borates were extracted primarily in California andTurkey and to a lesser extent inArgentina, Bolivia, Chile, China, and Peru. Boron compounds andminerals were produced by surface and underground mining and from brine.

Domestic data for boron were derived by the U.S. Geological Survey from a voluntary survey oftwo U.S. producers-Rio Tinto Group's U.S. Borax Inc. and Searles Valley Minerals, Inc. (SVM). Both companies responded; however, data were withheld to avoid disclosing qompany proprietary data (table 1). SVM, acquiredbythe Indian company Nirmain2007, producedborax and boric aciq from brines containingpotassium and sodium borates that were extracted from three salt layers, up to 100 meters (m) deep, in Searles Lake, located near Trona in San Bernardino County, CA. SVM's Trona and Westend plants refined the brines, producing anhydrous, decahydrate, and pentahydrous borax. These brines also supplied other commercial salts in addition to sodium borates and boric acid. The Trona plant has a reported capacity of27,500 tlyrBp3' and the Westendplant has a reported capacity of82,300 tlyr B2

### 0,.

Rio Tinto Borax (a wholly owned subsidiary ofUnited Kingdom-based Rio Tinto Minerals) mined mainly tineal and kernite at Boron, CA, by open pit methods, and the ore was transported by truck to a storage area. The tincal had an average grade of25.3% BP3 and the kernite had an average grade of31.9% BP3' Boric acid and refined sodium borates were produced at an onsite processing plant. Refined borate products

were shippedbyrailcar or truck to NorthAmerican customers

or to the company's Wilmington, CA, facility and exported from the Port ofLosAngeles. Specialtyborateproducts were made at the Wilmington plant.Aecording to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reportfiled by Rio TintoBorax, the company produced 504,000 t ofborates in 20II, a slight increase from the 500,000 t reported ill 2010 (Rio Tinto pic, 2012, p. 22). Rio Tinto's production ofborates duringthe third quarter of2011 was reported at 127,000 t, a decrease of 10% from 141,000 t that was mined during the same quarter of201O,

as a result ofscheduled maintenance at its Boron, CA, mine (Watts, 2011). 

### Consumption

In 20II, U.S. imports for consumption ofborax, boric acid, colemanite, and ulexite were 82,000 t, a 19% decrease from 10I,000 t imported in 20IO. The first reported use ofboraxwas
as a flux orbonding agentbyArabian gold- and silversmiths in the eighth century, but current research suggests Babylonians mayhave used it4,000 years ago. Today, there are more than 300 end uses for borates, butthe majority oftheworld's supply is sold and distributed for enduses related to agriculture, ceramics, detergents, ferroboron, fire retardants, and glass (Garrett, 1998; Hamilton, 2006).



### Agricultul'e.-Feltilizersrepresented the third largest application ofborates. Boron was the most widely used micronutrient, applied primarily to promote fruit and seed production. Boron fertilizers were mostly sourced from borax, boric acid, and calcium borate owing to their.high water solubility; thus, boron fertilizers can be delivered through sprays
or irrigation water. Domestic consumption ofboron fertilizers

was estimated to be approximately 2% oftotal U.S. fertilizer consumption.

BORON-2011 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 13.1

### Boron is essential for plant uptake ofprimary and secondary nutrients, such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. It

### influences the transport ofnutrients through plant membranes, which directly correlates into improved fruit development, germination, plantreproduction, andpollen production. Normal plant leaves typically contain 25 to 100 partspermillion ofboron, with I kilogramperhectare ofboron (I pound per acre) in soil being adequate to maintain these levels. U.S. boron deficiencies in crops are found primarily in theAtlantic coastal plains, Great Lakes region, and the coastal PacificNorthwest, where soils tend to be acidic, leached, coarse sandy, ororganic in nature. Excessive boron fertilization, on the otherhand, can cause crop toxicity, which studies suggested

was more often caused by higher boron levels in irrigation water than those in soil (Troeh and Thompson, 2005, p. 489).



### Ceramics.-Ceramics comprise the second largest application ofborates after glass, accounting for 10% ofworld consumption. Boratesplay an importantrole in ceramic glazes and enamels, increasing chemical, thermal, andwearresistance. Borax and colemanite are used in ceramicsprimarily as fluxing agents, withborax beingused in highertemperature, and colemanite inlower temperature firings. Borates are also used in technical ceramics, an industrywith applications in aerospace, ballistics, electronics, and medicine, which experienced strong growth during the past decade. The amount ofBP3 used in glazes varies between 8% and 24% and the amount used in enamels is between 17% and 32% by weight.

Boron carbide is a key ingredient in lightweight ceramic
armor, theuse ofwhich increasedUnited States and European consumption ofboron carbide duringthe pastfew years. Small

arms protective inserts, used by the U.S. military, are boron carbide ceramicplates inserted into Kevlarflakjackets to protect against high-velocityprojectiles (Industrial Minerals, 2008b).



### Detergents andSoaps.-The use ofboni.tes in detergents and soaps represented the fourth largest market, accounting for 4% ofworld consumption. Borates were incorporated into laundry detergents, soaps, and othercleaningproducts because they can be used as alkaline buffers, enzyme stabilizers, oxygen-based bleaching agents, and water softeners. Two borates, sodium perborate andperborate tetrahydrate, were used as oxidizing bleaching agents because they contain true peroxygenbonds. Hydrogen peroxide, a very effective bleaching agent, is produced when sodium perborate undergoes hydrolysis while in contact with water. Becausehydrogen peroxide cannotbe effectively incorporated into detergents, sodiumperborate acts as its carrier (Rio Tinto Borax, 2005). Sodiumperborate, however, requires hotwater to undergo hydrolysis, and concerns have emerged over excessive boron levels in waterways owing to sodium perborate in detergents. Sodiumpercarbonate has been used as a substitute primarily in Europe because itproduces hydrogen peroxide at lower temperatures. This substitution has affected boron consumption.



### .Ferroboron.-Ferroboron (FeB) is a binary alloy ofironwith

a boron contentbetween 17.5% and 24% and is the lowest cost boron additive for steel and other ferrous metals. Onaverage, the steel industry consumes more than 50% ofthe ferroboron produced annually (Eti Holding Inc., 2003, p. 8). Boron steel, containing nearly 0.008% ferroboron, possesses a higher strength and lighter weight than that ofaverage high-strength steel, and is a useful material in the manufacturing ofsafe and fuel efficient automobiles.



### FireRetardants.-Borates were incorporated into various materials, such as cellulosic insulation, textiles, and timbei:. to ' 

### impart flame retardantproperties to the materials. Boric acid

was incorporated into woodflame-retardants to inhibit the transfer ofcombustible vapors and reduce the effective heat of combustion, resulting in reduced flame spread. Zinc borate was used in plastics as a multifunctional boron-based fire retardant, with applications in a variety ofplastics and rubber compounds.



### Glass.-The principle market for borates in 20II was glass, representing approximately 60% ofglobal borate consumption. Boron is used as an additive in glass to reduce thermal expansion, improve strength, chemical resistance, and durability, andprovide resistance againstvibration, high temperature, and thernlal shock: Boronis also used as a fluxing agent, reducing the viscosity ofglass during formation to improve manufacturing. Depending on the application and quality ofthe glass, borax, boric acid, colemanite, ulexite, and sodium borates

are typically used.

Insulation and textile fiberglass represented the largest single

use ofborates worldwide, at 45% ofworld consumption. Enduses for fiberglass are corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant, and high-strength fabrics; insulation; reinforcement; and sound absorption. The incorporation ofborates into fiberglass greatly improves quality, establishing a product that is strong, lightweight, and thermal and chemicalresistant (Garrett, 1998),

Borosilicaterefers to glass with boric oxide contentbetween 5% and 30%. Theboron in borosilicate imparts many valuable properties to the glass, such as increased mechanical strength, low coefficient ofthermal expansion, and resistance to chemical attack and thermal shock. Past application ofborosilicate ranged from Pyrex® kitchenware to the thermal protectiontiles on the NationalAeronautics and SpaceAdministration Space Shuttle Orbiters.

Other.-Various boron compounds are used in nuclear powerplants to control neutrons produced during nuclear fission. The isotope boron-l0, in particular, possesses a high propensity for absorbing free neutrons, producing lithium and alpha particles after absorbing neutrons. Control rods composed of boron carbide are lowered into a nuclear reactorto control the fission reactionby capturing neutrons. Boric acid is used in the coolingwater surrounding nuclear reactors to absorb escaping neutrons (Ceradyne Inc., 2011).

Boron nitride can be found in large quantities in cosmetics owing to its low coefficient offriction and lack oftoxicity. It 

### has been shown to be a useful alternative to talcumpowder, which studies show may be linked to ovarian cancer (Emsley, 2004, p. 15-17). Boric acid has applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and toiletries. Borates are also. added to brake fluids, fuel additives, lubricants, metalworkingfluids, and water treatment chemicals. Boron oxide inhibits corrosion.

13.2 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK-20ll

### Transportation and Distribution

Almost all U.S. borates were shipped inNorthAmerica byrail. BothU.S. producers had rail tleets'dedicatedto the exclusive transportation oftheirproducts. Small shipments of borates were shippedby rail ortruck in specialtybags, usually of2, 100-poundcapacity. Prices for rail haulage depended onthe ability ofcustomers to load and unload efficiently, the ability

### t~ use unittrains and to supply one's own railcars, and fuel prices.

SVM owned the Trona Railway, a 50-kilometer (km) (31-mile) shortline railroad that connects to the Southern Pacific Railroad between Trona and Searles stations in California. The Trona Railway provided a dedicated line with access to the national rail system for the borate, soda ash, and sodium sulfate markets. Nearly 80% ofoutput was transported by rail to domestic consumers and to theports ofLong Beach and San Diego in California for export.

TheBoronMine was served solely by the Burlington Northern SantaFe Railroad. In orderto connectto another rail line, a transload ortransferpoint was set up in Cantil, CA, served by the UnionPacific Railroad. Trucks ofproduct from Boron were driven to Cantil, about 64 km (40miles) northwest ofBoron and loaded into dedicated railcars to be shipped to customers.

Rio Tinto Boraxused a privately Qwned berth located inthe Port ofLos Angeles, CA, for ocean transportation ofborate products. Products destined for Europe were shipped from the bulk terminal in Wilmingtonto a company-owned facility in the Port ofRotterdam, Netherlands, company facilities in Spain, or contracted warehouses. Themostcentrally located Rio Tinto Boraxportlocation in Europe wasAntwerp, Belgium. The industrial minerals market in Europe was characterizedby high volumes ofimported materials, mostly forwarded through the industrialized areas ofBelgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands for destinations in Central Europe, including Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. A decision to import borates was based on the geographic location, therange of borate products needed, and prices.



### Prices

Yearend prices ofboronminerals and compounds produced in the United States are listed in table 3. Prices for borates increased from 20I 0 to 20II as aresult ofa stabilization in marketplace conditions following depressed prices observed in 2008 and 2009. The decrease inprice observed from 2008 to 2009 retlected an imbalance between supply and demand created by the economic downturn observedbeginning in the fourth quarter of2008. Table 41ists the free alongside ship values for U.S exports ofboric acid and quantities ofboric acid and refined sodiumborate compounds exported to various countries. 

### Foreign Trade

Exports ofboron compounds and minerals in 20II increased by 6% to 727,000 t from 68],000 t in 2010. 

### In 2011, China receivedthe largest amount ofsodiumborates and boric acid from the United States owingto increased consumption of borates used in the Chinese glass and ceramic industries.

BORON-201l [ADVANCE RELEASE] Imports of82,000 t in 2011 represented a 19% decrease from the 101,000t reported in 2010 (table 1).



### World Review



### Argentina.-Argentinaremained the leadingproducer of boronminerals in SouthAmerica in 2011 (table 6). Borate deposits are located primarily in the Punaregion, which includes thenorthwestern tip ofArgentina, the southeastern comerof Peru, the southwestern comer ofBolivia, and the northeastern border ofChile. Recent increased demand in Asia and North America for borate use in ceramics and glass ledto increased production ofArgentine borates, boric acid inparticular.

BoraxArgentina S.A. (a subsidiary ofRio Tinto Minerals), the country's leadingproducer ofborates, operated theTincalayu Mine, the largest openpitoperation inthe country and located at4,100 m (13,400 feet) above sea level. The deposit consisted primarily ofborax, with rare occunences ofulexite and 15 otherborates. Rio Tinto also producedrefined borate ores and boric acid atrefineries in Campo Quijano, Sijes, and Tincalayu in Salta Province and Porvenir in Jujuy Province (Rio Tinto pIc, 2011, p. 80). In 2011, BoraxArgentina produced 85,000 t oftincal, 30,000 t ofulexite, 35,000 t ofcolemanite (Lismore, 2012b).

Minera SantaRita S.R.L. (MSR) operated mines in Catamarca, Jujuy, and Salta Provinces and operated a processing plant in Campo Quijano, which produced granular deca- and pentahydrateborax, technical-grade boric acid powder, and various grades and sizes ofthe natural boron minerals. MSR exports 97% ofits products to 28 countries through the port ofBuenosAires andby hind to Brazil (Santa Rita Mining Co., 2012).



### Chile.-In 2011, Chile was the second leading producer of boron minerals in SouthAmerica (table 6). The489,000 t of boron mineralsproduced in 2011 was a slight decrease from that of2010. The Chileanborate producers were all located on the northeasternborder ofChile, which contains onetheworld's largest deposits ofulexite. The leading producer, Quimiea e Industrial del Borax Ltda. (Quiborax), mined450,000 t/yr of cmdeulexite andproducedup to 80,000 t/yr ofboric acid and 40,000 t/yr ofgranularulexite (Tran, 2008).

China.--Chinapossesses more than 100 borate deposits in 14 Provinces. Thenortheastern Province ofLiaoning and the western Province ofQinghai accounted for more than 80% of the resources, mostly inthe form ofsassolite

### ~md tincal. Chinese boron resources are oflow quality, averaging about 8.4% BP3' in comparison to the Turkish and United Statesreserves, which average about26% to 31% and 25.3% to 31.9% BP3' respectively (Industrial Minerals, 2008a; Baylis, 2010,p. 5).

The Chinese Governmentwas considering closing a loophole that gives a 5%tax rebate on the export ofalloys in attempts to curtail misuse oftherebate. Some carbon steel mills added small amounts ofboron, nearly 0.0005%byweight, to'pass the steel offas an alloy in orderto collectthe rebate. This practice may have given these mills as much as a 20%pricing advantage

on theirproducts (Metal Bulletin, 2011).



### Turkey.-Approximately 73% ofthe world's boronreserves
are located inTurkey (Engineering and MiningJournal, 2012). The mainborate producing areas ofTurkey, all controlled

13.3

### by the state-owned mining company Eti MadenAS, are Bigadic (colemanite and ulexite), Emet (colemanite), Kestelek (colemanite, probertite;andulexite), and Kirka (tineal). Production ofrefined borates increased during the past few years owing to continued investment in new refineries and technologies. Eti Maden planned to expand its share in the worldboron market from 36% to 39% by 2013, increasing sales to $1 billion by expanding its production facilities and product range. In 2009, Turkey exported 4 Mtofborates valued at $104 million (Today's Zaman, 2009; Uyanik, 2010).

Outlook

Consumption ofborates is expected to increase, spurred by strong demand in the Asian and South American agriculture, ceramic, and glass markets. World consumption ofborates was projected to reach 2.0 Mt

### BP3by 2014, compared with 1.5 Mt 

### BP3 in2010 (Roskill Information Services Ltd., 2010, p. 167; O'Driscoll,2011).

The European Union (EU) added borates to a list ofbanned minerals, which required detergent makers to decrease their use ofboron following an EU ruling that determined continuous exposure may be harmful (Lismore, 2012a). Demand for boron-based fertilizers was expected to rise as a result ofan increase in demand for food and biofuel crops. Higher crop prices have enabled farmers to invest more capital in advanced farming techniques and higher-grade fertilizers. Consumption ofborates by the ceramics industry was expected to shift away from Europe to Asia, which accounted for 60% ofworld demand in 20II.

Ayear following the earthquake in Japan, bOlic acid remained limited. Used extensively to cool the damaged Fukushima reactor cores following the destruction ofthe powerplant's cooling system, the demand for boric acid supplies remained high (Ollett, 2012), The demand for boric acid is likely to remain high as its use as a coolant in nuclear reactorplants may expand.

Consumption ofboron nitride is expected to increase owing to the development ofhigh-volume production techniques coupled with the creation ofnew technologies. The properties intrinsic to cubicboron nitride, such as hardness (second only to diamond), high thermal conductivity, and oxidation resistance make it an ideal material in a variety ofemerging applications. Hexagonal boron nitride was used in additives, ceramics, and intermetallic composites, imparting thermal shockresistance, improved machinability, and reduction offriction.

References Cited
Baylis, Robert, 2010, The Chinese boron market and the role ofwestem

suppliers: Industrial Minerals Congress, 20th, Miami, FL, March 21-24; presentation, 31 p. Ceradyne Inc., 2011, Boronproducts: Costa Mesa, CA, Ceradyne Inc. (Accessed

January 5, 20II, at http://www.ceradyneboron.comlabout/ boron-products.aspx.) Emsley, John, 2004, Vanity, vitality and viriJity-The science behind the

products you love to buy: NewYork, NY, Oxford University Press, 259 p. Engineering and Mining Journal, 2012, Industrial minerals-The boron country:

Engineering and Mining Journal, v. 213, no. I, January, p. 61. Eti Holding Inc., 2003, Pre-feasibility report summaries ofboron carbide, boron

nitride, ferroboron, frit and glaze, textile glass fibre, zinc borate: Ankara, Turkey, Eti Holding Inc., 23 p. Garrett, D.E., 1998, Preface, in Borates-Handbook ofdeposits, processing, properties, and use: San Diego, CA, Academic Press, p. xi-xiv. Hamilton, Samuel, 2006, Boron: Mining Engineering, v. 58, no. 6, June,

p.21-22. Industrial Minerals, 2008a, Serving China's ceramics: Industrial Minerals,

no. 488, May, p. 35. Industrial Minerals, 2008b, Technical ceramics take off: Industrial Minerals,

no. 495, December, p. 66. Lismore, Siobhan, 20 12a, Borates used in detergents added to REACH list:

Industrial Minerals, February 13. (Accessed September 27, 2012, at http:// www.indmin.coml.) Lismore, Siobhan, 2012b, Lithiumjunior Orocobre buys BoraxArgentina from

Rio Tinto: Industrial Minerals, August 21. (Accessed October 1,2012, at http://www.indmi.l1.coml.) Metal Bulletin, 2011, Spotlight-'-china may shut boron loophole on steel

exports: Metal Bulletin, January 24. (AccessedJanuary 25, 20II, at http:// www.metalbulletin.coml.) O'Driscoll,Mike, 20II, Rio Tinto Minerals declares force majeure on sodium

borates: Industrial Minerals, January 31. (Accessed October I, 2012, at http:// www.indmin.com/.) Ollett, John, 2012, Japan's earthquake and tsunami tragedy-One year on:

Industrial Minerals, March·8. (Accessed September 27,2012, at http:// www.indmin.coml.) Rio Tinto Borax, 2005, Bleaching with sodium perborate: Boron, CA, Rio

Tinto Borax. (AccessedAugust 4, 20ll, at http://www.borax.comldetergents / bleaching.htm!.) Rio Tinto pIc, 20II, Fonn 20-F-Annualreport for the fiscal year ended

December 31, 20I0: Washington, DC, Securities and Exchange Commission, March 15. (Accessed September 27, 2012, at b.ttp:llwww.secinfo.coml.) Rio Tinto pIc, 2012, Rio Tinto announces record underlying earnings of$15.5

billion-Net eamings reduced by impairment charge: Rio Tinto pic media release, February 9, (Accessed September 27,2012, at http:// www.riotinto.comldocumentslMedial120209_Rio_Tinto

_ announces_ record_underlying_eamings_of_15_5_billion_net_eamingsJeduced_by_ impairment_charge.pdf.) Roskill Information Services Ltd., 2010, Boron-Global industry markets and

outlook: London, United Kingdom, Roskill Information Services Ltd., 243 p. Santa Rita Mining Co., 2012, [Untitled]: Santa Rita Mining Co. (Accessed

September 27,2012, at b.ttp:llwww.santaritasrJ.coml.) Today's Zaman, 2009, Turkey eyeing$l billion in boron exports by 2013:

Istanbul, Turkey, Today's Zaman, December 16. (Accessed October I, 2012, at http://todayszaman.coml.) Tran, Alison, 2008, Borates, as seen on TV: Industrial Minerals, no. 489, June,

p.30. Troeh, F.R., and Thompson, L.M., 2005, Soils and soil fertility: Ames, lA,

Blackwell Publishing, 489 p. Uyanik, Tulay, 2010, Mining: Ankara, Turkey, Export promotion center of

Turkey, August, 7 p. (Accessed October I, 2012, at http://www.tcp.gov.tr / Asscts/sip/sanIMining.pdf.) Watts, Mark, 20II, Rio Tinto borates output drops in Q3 on planned shutdown:

Industrial Minerals, October 13. (Accessed**Sept~mber** 27, 2012, at http:// www.indmin.coml.)


### GENERAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION

U.S. Geological Survey Publications

Boron. Ch. in Mineral Commodity Summaries, annual. Evaporites and Brines. Ch. in United States Mineral Resources,

Professional Paper 820, 1973.

Other

Boron. Ch. in Mineral Facts and Problems, U.S. Bureau of

Mines, Bulletin 675, 1985. European Borates Association. Industrial Minerals Association-North Amelica.

13.4 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS YEARBOOK-20IITABLE I SALIENT STATISTICS OFBORON MINERALS AND COMPOUNDSl

(Thousand metric tons and thousand dollars)

W W 

### W W W W

W Withheld to avoid disclosing companyproprietary data. lData arerounded to no more than three significant digits. "Minerals and compounds sold orused byproducers, iucluding actualmineproduction, and marketableproducts. 3Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 4rncludes orthoboric and anhydrous boric acid. Hannonized TariffSchedule ofthe United States codes 2840.19.0000, 2840.20.0090, and 2840.30.0000. than Y, unit. 6Source: PIERS.

7U

.S

. production withheld from world production in 2007-11 to avoid disclosing company proprietary data.

BORON-2011 [ADVANCE RELEASE) 13.5TABLE 2 BORON MlNERALS OFCOMMERCIALIMPORTANCE

Chemical weight Minerall composition percentage Boracite (sta:::.ss:.:furi=·.;.:te L )

____**M'::?'g'::lB~p:--I"'lC_:=1** --;::-

____6;::;2:::,=::-2 Colemanite Ca2B60ll'5H20 50,8 Datolite CaBSi040H 24.9 Hydroboracite CaMgB 60 ll '6H2 0 50,S Kemite (rasorite) Na2B.07'4H20 51.0 Priceite (pandermite) CaB lOOl9·7Hp 49,8 Probertite (kramerite) NaCaBl0 9'5H20 49.6

. Sassolite (natural boric acid) H3BO, 56.3 Szaibelyite (ascharite) MgB020H 41.4 Tineal (natural borax) Na2B.O,' I OH2 0

....**~** Tincalconite**(mo~!l\,ite)** Na2B.07'5H20 47,8 Ulexite (boronatrocalcite) NaCaBs09'8H2 0 43,0 Iparentheses indicate common nam';;;:

TABLE 3 YEAREND PRICES FOR BORON MlNERALS AND COMPOUNDSl

(Dollars per metric ton)

Price, December 31,

free onboard plant orportprices permetric ton ofproduct. Other conditions offinal preparation, transportation, quantities, and qualities not stated are subject to negotiation and (or) somewhat different

, price quotations. Values have been rounded to the nearest dollar.

Source: Industrial Minerals, no. 507, December 2009, p, 68; no. 519, December 2010, p, 69; no, 531, December 20 11, p. 61.

13.6 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U,S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MlNERALS YEARBOOK-2011TABLE 4 U.S. EXPORTS OF BORIC ACID AND REFINED SODIUM BORATE COMPOUNDS, BY COUNTRy l

2010 2011 Boric acid2 Sodium Boric acid2 Sodium Quantity ValueJ borates4 Quantity ValueJ borates4 Country (metric tons) (thousandsl (metric tons) (metric tons) (thousands) (metric tons) Australia 1,780 $1,120 4,330 1,880 $1,150 5,120 Belgium 3 II 14 31 62 12 Brazil 1,190 1,550 927 .923 1,360 80 Canada 2,530 2,290 27,500 2,240 2,550 23,400 China 59,900 35,000 104,000 39,800 25,400 134,000 Colombia 159 210 6,840 219 298 7,270 France 120 81 324 407 207 278 Germany 1,380 1,670 I 706 1,910 Hong Kong 400 206 20 India 3,930 2,840 32,300 4,010 2,860 21,400 Indonesia 1,340 935 9,630 904 717 11,000 Italy 93 94 1,080 1 4 604 Japan 46,100 32,500 25,300 35,700 27,900 25,800 Korea, Republic of 49,700 27,700 12,700 50,200 33,300 13,500 Malaysia 3,340 1,940 25,700 6,510 3,870 54,000 Mexico 6,540 5,240 34,700 7,600 6,400 36,300 Netherlands 38,600 24,200 99,200 26,400 16,900 74,700 NewZealand 428 289 2,010 277 195 1,470 Philippines 121 89 1,980 87 92 2,200 Saudi Arabia 1,720 1,310 1,130 4,280 2,950 673 Singapore 1,610 2,880 1,050 1,160 2,230 913 Spain 1,840 1,080 661 700 Taiwan 31,200 17,800 3,250 43,400 29,100 4,240 Thailand 3,610 2,210 8,600 2,790 1,940 8,740 United Kingdom 2 5' 24 9 Venezuela 253 2,190 240 135 320 46 Vietnam 2,990 1,940 5,060 2,430 '1,820 51,100 Other 3,900 ' 2,950 ' 13,800 ' 2,750 2,260 14,900

Total 264,000 170,000 423,000 235,000 166,000 492,000 'Revised.

-- Zero.

IData are rounded to no more than three significant digits; maynot add to totals shown. 2Harmonized TariffSchedule ofthe United States (HTS) code 2810.00.0000.

JFree alongside ship valuation.

4HTS codes 2840.19.0000, 2840.20.0000, and 2840.30.0000.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

BORON-20ll [ADVANCE RELEASE] 13.7TABLES U.S. IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION OF BORICACID, BY COUNTRyl

2011 Quantity Country (metric tons) (thousands) (metric tons) (thousands) Argentina 1,080 $790 506 $514 Bolivia 4,160 2,330 4,180 2,840 Brazil 154 100 Chile 7,340 4,380 8,750 7,180 10O 162 7S8 1,030 France 505 657 270 277 Gel1ll.'\I1Y

___ 103 100 350 210 India 627 607 175 265 Italy 1,570 1,600 1,490 1,880 Japan 173 III 58 38 Peru 2,920 1,850 3,190 2,360 Russia 923 483 1,180 785 Turkey 30,000 17,000 35,500 23,300 United Kingdom 1 2 18 23 Other

Total

•• Zero. lData arerounded to no morethan three significant digits; may not add to totals shown. 2U.S. customs declared values.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

TABLE 6 BORON MINERALS: WORLD PRODUCTION, BY COUNTRyl,2

(Thousand metric tons)

. 135 3 64 56 86 97 528 583 608 504 489 3
145 140 93 r 100 r 100 3 I 3 2 I 2 I 30 30 30 30 30 Peru 234 350 187 293 293 p 400 400 400 400 1,800 2,000

W Withheldto avoid disclosing companyproprietary data, not included in total. lWorld totals and estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; maynot addto totals shown.**~able** includes data available through June II, 2012. 3Reported figure. 4Boron oxide (B20 3) equivaLent. 'Dataare for years bejl;inninjl; March 21 ofthat stated. "Blended Russian datalite are that reportedly grades 8.6% B2 0 3•
7Concentrates from ore. 8Minerals and compounds sold or used byproducers, including both actual mine production and marketable products.

13.8 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICALSURVEYMINERALS YEARBOOK-2011

### 32 

### BORON
(Data in thousand metric tons unless otherwise noted)

Domestic Production and Use: Two companies in southern California produced borates i,n 2013, and most ofthe boron products consumed in the United States were manufactured domestically, To avoid disclosing company proprietary data, U.S. boron production and consumption were withheld, The leading boron producer mined borate ores containing kernite, tincal, and ulexite by open pit methods and operated associated compound plants. The kernite was used for boric acid production and the tincal was used as a feedstock for sodium borate production. A second company produced borates from brines extracted through solution mining techniques. Boron minerals and chemicals were principally consumed in the North Central and the Eastern United States, In 2013, the glass and ceramics industries remained the leading domestic users of boron products, consuming an estimated 80% oftotal borates consumption. Boron also was used as a component in abrasives, cleaning products, insecticides, and in the production ofsemiconductors.

Salient Statistics-United States: 

### 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013e 

### Production 

# \iii 

# w 

# -:w w 

# ---w Imports for consumption, gross weight: Borax 2 2 2 Boric acid 36 50 57 55 60 Colemanite 31 50 20 28 30 Ulexite 28 1 5 12 10 Exports, gross weight: Boric acid 171 264 235 190 190 Refined sodium borates 417 423 492 456 460 Consumption: Apparent 

### W W W W W Reported 

### W W W W W Price, average value of mineral imports

at port ofexportation, dollars perton 540 485 579 569 570 Employment, number 1,310 1,220 1,180 1,180 1,190 Net import reliance2 

### as a percentage of

apparent consumption E E E 

### E E 

# C) C)

Recycling: Insignificant.
Import Sources 

### (2009-12): Borates: Turkey, 78%; China, 4%; Argentina, 3%; Austria, 3%; and other, 12%.

Tariff: Item Number Normal Trade Relations 

### 12-31-13 Natural borates: Sodium 2528.00.0005 Free. Calcium 2528.00.0010 Free. Other 2528.00.0050 Free. Boric acids 2810.00.0000 1.5% ad val. Borates: Refined borax: Anhydrous 2840.11.0000 0.3% ad val. Other 2840.19.0000 0.1% ad val. Other 2840.20.0000 3.7% ad val. Perborates: Sodium 2840.30.0010 3.7% ad val. Other 2840.30.0050 3.7% ad val.
Depletion Allowance: Borax. 14% (Domestic and foreign).

Government Stockpile: None.

Prepared by Robert D. Crangle, Jr. 

### [(703) 648-6410, rcrangle@usgs.gov]33 

### BORON

Events. Trends. and Issues: Elemental boron is a metalloid that has limited commercial applications. Although the term "boron" is commonly referenced, it does not occur in nature in an elemental state. Boron combines with oxygen and other elements to form boric acid, or inorganic salts called**b~rates.** Boron compounds, chiefly borates, are commercially important; therefore, boron products were priced and sold based on their boric oxide content (B20 3). varying by ore and**compo~nd** and bythe absence or presence of calcium and sodium. The four borate mineralscolemanite. kemite, tincal, and ulexite-make up 90% ofthe borate minerals used by industryworldwide. Although borates were used in more than 300 applications, more than three-quarters ofthe world's supply is consumed in ceramics, detergents, fertilizer, and glass.
Consumption of borates is expected to increase in 2013 and the coming years, spurred by demand in the Asian and South American agricultural, ceramic, and glass markets. World consumption of borates was projected to reach 2.0 million tons of B20 3 by 2014, compared with 1.5 million tons of B20 3 in 2010. Demand for borates was expected to shift slightly awayfrom detergents and soaps toward glass and ceramics.

Becaul?e China has low-grade boron reserves and demand for boron is anticipated to rise in that country, Chinese imports from Chile, Russia, Turkey, and the United States were expected to increase during the nextseveral years. European and emerging markets were requiring more stringent building standards with respect to heat conservation. Consequently, increased consumption of borates for fiberglass insulation was expected. Continued investment in new refineries and technologies and the continued rise in demand were expected to fuel growth in world production during the next several years.

World Production and Reserves: Production-All forms3 Reserves4 2012 2013& United States 

## -W 

## -W 40,000 Argentina 650 700 2,000 Bolivia 130 130 NA Chile 444 450 35,000 China 160 160 32,000 Kazakhstan 30 30 NA Peru 104 200 4,000 Russia 400 250

.40,000 Turkey 2,500 3,000 60,000 World total (rounded) 54,420 54,900 210,000

World Resources: Deposits of borates are associated with volcanic activity and arid climates, with the largest economically viable deposits located in the Mojave Desert ofthe United States, the Alpide belt in southern ASia, and the Andean belt of South America. U.S. deposits consist primarily oftincal, kemite, and borates contained in brines, and to a lesser extent ulexite and colemanite. About 70% ofall Turkish deposits are colemanite. Small deposits are being mined in South America. At current levels of consumption, world resources are adequate for the foreseeable future.

Substitutes: The substitution of other materials for boron is possible in detergents, enamel, insulation, and soaps. Sodium percarbonate can replace borates in detergents and requires lowertemperatures to undergo hydrolysis, which is an environmental consideration. Some enamels can use other glass-producing substances, such as phosphates. Insulation substitutes include cellulose, foams, and mineral wools. In soaps, sodium and potassium salts offatty acids can act as cleaning and emulsifying agents.

"Estimated. E Net exporter. NA Not available. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data.

1Less than Yz unit. 2Defined as imports

- exports. 3Gross weight ofore in thousand metric tons. 4See Appendix C for resource/reserve definitions and information concerning data sources. 5Excludes U.S. production.

U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, February2014

# EUSGS

science for

## achanging world 

# 2011 Minerals Yearbook

BORON [ADVANCE RELEASE]

U.S. Departmentolthe Interior January 2013 U.S. Geological Survey