BORON 

Robert D. Crangle, Jr. 

Domestic survey data and tables were prepared by Christopher H. Lindsay, statistical assistant, and the world production 

table was prepared by Lisa D. Miller, international data coordinator. 

U.S. consumption ofminerals and compounds reported 

in boron oxide continued to increase in 20 II; quantities are 

withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data (table I). 

Turkey and the United States were the world's leading producers 

ofboron minerals (table 6). World production of boron 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 20 I O. In 20 II, 492,000 t of sodium 

borates was exported, an increase from 423,000 tin 2010 

(tables 1,4). Boron imports consisted primarily of borax, 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 of semiconductors and as an ignition source in 

airbags. The global consumption rate of elemental boron was 

estimated to be 15 metric tons per year (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 of sodium and calcium (table 2). Borax, one of the 

most important boron 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 in technical, national formulary, 

and special quality grades as granules or powder. 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 

Four minerals make up 90% of the borates uscd by industry 

worldwide: the sodium borates tincal and kernite, the calcium 

borate colemanite, and the sodium-calcium borate ulexite. 

Borate deposits are associated with volcanic activity and arid 

climates, and the largest borate deposits are located in the 

Mojave Desert of the United States, the Alpide belt in southern 

Asia, and the Andean belt of South America. As a result, most 

borates were extracted primarily in California and Turkey and 

to a lesser extent in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, China, and Peru. 

Boron compounds and minerals 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 of two 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, acquired by the Indian company Nirma in 2007, 

produced borax and boric aciq from brines containing potassium 

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 of 27,500 tlyrBp3' and 

the Westend plant has a reported capacity of 82,300 tlyr B2

0,. 

Rio Tinto Borax (a wholly owned subsidiary of United 

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 tin cal had an average 

grade of25.3% BP3 and the kernite had an average grade 

of 31.9% BP3' Boric acid and refined sodium borates were 

produced at an onsite processing plant. Refined borate products 

were shipped by railcar or truck to North American customers 

or to the company's Wilmington, CA, facility and exported 

from the Port of Los Angeles. Specialty borate products were 

made at the Wilmington plant. Aecording to a U.S. Securities 

and Exchange Commission report filed by Rio TintoBorax, 

the company produced 504,000 t of borates in 20 II, a slight 

increase from the 500,000 t reported ill 2010 (Rio Tinto pic, 

2012, p. 22). Rio Tinto's production ofborates during the 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 20 II, U.S. imports for consumption of borax, boric acid, 

colemanite, and ulexite were 82,000 t, a 19% decrease from 

10 I ,000 t imported in 20 I O. The first reported use of borax was 

as a flux or bonding agent by Arabian gold- and silversmiths in 

the eighth century, but current research suggests Babylonians 

may have used it 4,000 years ago. Today, there are more than 

300 end uses for borates, but the majority ofthe world's supply 

is sold and distributed for end uses related to agriculture, 

ceramics, detergents, ferroboron, fire retardants, and glass 

(Garrett, 1998; Hamilton, 2006). 

Agricultul'e.-Feltilizers represented 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 of boron fertilizers 

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

consumption. 

BORON-2011 [ADVANCE RELEASE] 13.1 
Boron is essential for plant uptake of primary and secondary 

nutrients, such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, 

and zinc. It influences the transport of nutrients through plant 

membranes, which directly correlates into improved fruit 

development, germination, plant reproduction, and pollen 

production. Normal plant leaves typically contain 25 to 100 

parts per million of boron, with I kilogram per hectare of boron 

(I pound per acre) in soil being adequate to maintain these 

levels. U.S. boron deficiencies in crops are found primarily in 

the Atlantic coastal plains, Great Lakes region, and the coastal 

Pacific Northwest, where soils tend to be acidic, leached, coarse 

sandy, or organic in nature. Excessive boron fertilization, on 

the other hand, 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% of world 

consumption. Borates play an important role in ceramic glazes 

and enamels, increasing chemical, thermal, and wear resistance. 

Borax and colemanite are used in ceramics primarily as fluxing 

agents, with borax being used in higher temperature, and 

colemanite in lower temperature firings. Borates are also used in 

technical ceramics, an industry with 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, the use ofwhich increased United States and European 

consumption of boron carbide during the past few years. Small 

arms protective inserts, used by the U.S. military, are boron 

carbide ceramic plates inserted into Kevlarflak jackets to 

protect against high-velocity projectiles (Industrial Minerals, 

2008b). 

Detergents and Soaps.-The use ofboni.tes in detergents and 

soaps represented the fourth largest market, accounting for 4% 

of world consumption. Borates were incorporated into laundry 

detergents, soaps, and other cleaning products because they can 

be used as alkaline buffers, enzyme stabilizers, oxygen-based 

bleaching agents, and water softeners. Two borates, sodium 

perborate and perborate tetrahydrate, were used as oxidizing 

bleaching agents because they contain true peroxygen bonds. 

Hydrogen peroxide, a very effective bleaching agent, is 

produced when sodium perborate undergoes hydrolysis while 

in contact with water. Because hydrogen peroxide cannot be 

effectively incorporated into detergents, sodium perborate 

acts as its carrier (Rio Tinto Borax, 2005). Sodium perborate, 

however, requires hot water to undergo hydrolysis, and concerns 

have emerged over excessive boron levels in waterways owing 

to sodium perborate in detergents. Sodium percarbonate 

has been used as a substitute primarily in Europe because 

it produces hydrogen peroxide at lower temperatures. This 

substitution has affected boron consumption. 

. Ferroboron.-Ferroboron (FeB) is a binary alloy ofiron with 

a boron content between 17.5% and 24% and is the lowest cost 

boron additive for steel and other ferrous metals. On average, 

the steel industry consumes more than 50% of the 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 of average high-strength 

steel, and is a useful material in the manufacturing of safe and 

fuel efficient automobiles. 

Fire Retardants.-Borates were incorporated into various 

materials, such as cellulosic insulation, textiles, and timbei:. to ' 

impart flame retardant properties to the materials. Boric acid 

was incorporated into wood flame-retardants to inhibit the 

transfer of combustible 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 of plastics and rubber compounds. 

Glass.-The principle market for borates in 20 II was glass, 

representing approximately 60% of global borate consumption. 

Boron is used as an additive in glass to reduce thermal 

expansion, improve strength, chemical resistance, and durability, 

and provide resistance against vibration, high temperature, 

and thernlal shock: Boron is also used as a fluxing agent, 

reducing the viscosity of glass during formation to improve 

manufacturing. Depending on the application and quality of the 

glass, borax, boric acid, colemanite, ulexite, and sodium borates 

are typically used. 

Insulation and textile fiberglass represented the largest single 

use of borates worldwide, at 45% of world consumption. 

End uses 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 chemical resistant (Garrett, 1998), 

Borosilicate refers to glass with boric oxide content between 

5% and 30%. The boron in borosilicate imparts many valuable 

properties to the glass, such as increased mechanical strength, 

low coefficient of thermal expansion, and resistance to chemical 

attack and thermal shock. Past application of borosilicate ranged 

from Pyrex® kitchenware to the thermal protection tiles on the 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Shuttle 

Orbiters. 

Other.-Various boron compounds are used in nuclear 

powerplants to control neutrons produced during nuclear fission. 

The isotope boron-l 0, 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 reactor to control the 

fission reaction by capturing neutrons. Boric acid is used in the 

cooling water 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 of friction and lack oftoxicity. It 

has been shown to be a useful alternative to talcum powder, 

which studies show may be linked to ovarian cancer (Ems ley, 

2004, p. 15-17). Boric acid has applications in cosmetics, 

pharmaceuticals, and toiletries. Borates are also. added to brake 

fluids, fuel additives, lubricants, metalworking fluids, 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 in North America 

by rail. Both U.S. producers had rail tleets'dedicated to the 

exclusive transportation oftheir products. Small shipments of 

borates were shipped by rail or truck in specialty bags, usually 

of2, 100-pound capacity. Prices for rail haulage depended on the 

ability of customers to load and unload efficiently, the ability t~ 

use unit trains 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% of output was transported by rail 

to domestic consumers and to the ports of Long Beach and San 

Diego in California for export. 

The Boron Mine was served solely by the Burlington 

Northern Santa Fe Railroad. In order to connect to another 

rail line, a trans load or transfer point was set up in Cantil, CA, 

served by the Union Pacific Railroad. Trucks of product from 

Boron were driven to Cantil, about 64 km (40 miles) northwest 

of Boron and loaded into dedicated railcars to be shipped to 

customers. 

Rio Tinto Borax used a privately Qwned berth located in the 

Port of Los Angeles, CA, for ocean transportation ofborate 

products. Products destined for Europe were shipped from 

the bulk terminal in Wilmington to a company-owned facility 

in the Port ofRotterdam, Netherlands, company facilities in 

Spain, or contracted warehouses. The most centrally located 

Rio Tinto Borax port location in Europe was Antwerp, Belgium. 

The industrial minerals market in Europe was characterized by 

high volumes of imported materials, mostly forwarded through 

the industrialized areas of Belgium, 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, the range of 

borate products needed, and prices. 

Prices 

Yearend prices ofboron minerals and compounds produced 

in the United States are listed in table 3. Prices for borates 

increased from 20 I 0 to 20 II as a result of a stabilization in 

marketplace conditions following depressed prices observed 

in 2008 and 2009. The decrease in price observed from 2008 

to 2009 retlected an imbalance between supply and demand 

created by the economic downturn observed beginning in the 

fourth quarter of2008. Table 41ists the free alongside ship 

values for U.S exports ofboric acid and quantities ofboric 

acid and refined sodium borate compounds exported to various 

countries. 

Foreign Trade 

Exports of boron compounds and minerals in 20 II increased 

by 6% to 727,000 t from 68],000 t in 2010. In 2011, China 

received the largest amount of sodium borates and boric acid 

from the United States owing to increased consumption of 

borates used in the Chinese glass and ceramic industries. 

BORON-201l [ADVANCE RELEASE] 

Imports of 82,000 t in 2011 represented a 19% decrease from 

the 101,000 t reported in 2010 (table 1). 

World Review 

Argentina.-Argentina remained the leading producer of 

boron minerals in South America in 2011 (table 6). Borate 

deposits are located primarily in the Puna region, which includes 

the northwestern tip ofArgentina, the southeastern comer of 

Peru, the southwestern comer of Bolivia, and the northeastern 

border ofChile. Recent increased demand in Asia and North 

America for borate use in ceramics and glass led to increased 

production ofArgentine borates, boric acid in particular. 

Borax Argentina S.A. (a subsidiary ofRio Tinto Minerals), the 

country's leading producer ofborates, operated the Tincalayu 

Mine, the largest open pit operation in the country and located 

at 4,100 m (13,400 feet) above sea level. The deposit consisted 

primarily ofborax, with rare occunences ofulexite and 15 

other borates. Rio Tinto also produced refined borate ores and 

boric acid at refineries in Campo Quijano, Sijes, and Tincalayu 

in Salta Province and Porvenir in Jujuy Province (Rio Tinto 

pIc, 2011, p. 80). In 2011, Borax Argentina produced 85,000 t 

oftincal, 30,000 t ofulexite, 35,000 t of colemanite (Lismore, 

2012b). 

Minera Santa Rita 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 

pentahydrate borax, technical-grade boric acid powder, and 

various grades and sizes ofthe natural boron minerals. MSR 

exports 97% of its products to 28 countries through the port 

ofBuenos Aires and by hind to Brazil (Santa Rita Mining Co., 

2012). 

Chile.-In 2011, Chile was the second leading producer of 

boron minerals in South America (table 6). The 489,000 t of 

boron minerals produced in 2011 was a slight decrease from 

that of2010. The Chilean borate producers were all located on 

the northeastern border of Chile, which contains one the world's 

largest deposits of ulexite. The leading producer, Quimiea e 

Industrial del Borax Ltda. (Quiborax), mined 450,000 t/yr of 

cmde ulexite and produced up to 80,000 t/yr ofboric acid and 

40,000 t/yr of granular ulexite (Tran, 2008). 

China.--China possesses more than 100 borate deposits in 

14 Provinces. The northeastern Province ofLiaoning and the 

western Province of Qinghai accounted for more than 80% of 

the resources, mostly in the form of sassolite ~md tincal. Chinese 

boron resources are of low quality, averaging about 8.4% 

BP3' in comparison to the Turkish and United States reserves, 

which average about 26% to 31 % and 25.3% to 31.9% BP3' 

respectively (Industrial Minerals, 2008a; Baylis, 2010, p. 5). 

The Chinese Government was considering closing a loophole 

that gives a 5% tax rebate on the export of alloys in attempts 

to curtail misuse ofthe rebate. Some carbon steel mills added 

small amounts ofboron, nearly 0.0005% by weight, to'pass the 

steel off as an alloy in order to collect the rebate. This practice 

may have given these mills as much as a 20% pricing advantage 

on their products (Metal Bulletin, 2011). 

Turkey.-Approximately 73% ofthe world's boron reserves 

are located in Turkey (Engineering and Mining Journal, 2012). 

The main borate producing areas ofTurkey, all controlled 

13.3 
by the state-owned mining company Eti Maden AS, are 

Bigadic (colemanite and ulexite), Emet (colemanite), Kestelek 

(colemanite, probertite;and ulexite), and Kirka (tineal). 

Production of refined 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 

world boron 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 Mt ofborates valued at $104 

million (Today's Zaman, 2009; Uyanik, 2010). 

Outlook 

Consumption of borates is expected to increase, spurred by 

strong demand in the Asian and South American agriculture, 

ceramic, and glass markets. World consumption of borates was 

projected to reach 2.0 Mt BP3 by 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 of banned 

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 of an 

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% of world 

demand in 20 II. 

A year following the earthquake in Japan, bOlic acid remained 

limited. Used extensively to cool the damaged Fukushima 

reactor cores following the destruction of the 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 reactor plants may 

expand. 

Consumption of boron nitride is expected to increase owing to 

the development of high-volume production techniques coupled 

with the creation of new technologies. The properties intrinsic to 

cubic boron nitride, such as hardness (second only to diamond), 

high thermal conductivity, and oxidation resistance make it an 

ideal material in a variety of emerging applications. Hexagonal 

boron nitride was used in additives, ceramics, and intermetallic 

composites, imparting thermal shock resistance, improved 

machinability, and reduction of friction. 

References Cited 

Baylis, Robert, 2010, The Chinese boron market and the role ofwest em 

suppliers: Industrial Minerals Congress, 20th, Miami, FL, March 21-24; 

presentation, 31 p. 

Ceradyne Inc., 2011, Boron products: Costa Mesa, CA, Ceradyne Inc. (Accessed 

January 5, 20 II, at http://www.ceradyneboron.comlabout/ 

boron-products.aspx.) 

Emsley, John, 2004, Vanity, vitality and viriJity-The science behind the 

products you love to buy: New York, 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 of boron carbide, boron 

nitride, ferro boron, frit and glaze, textile glass fibre, zinc borate: Ankara, 

Turkey, Eti Holding Inc., 23 p. 

Garrett, D.E., 1998, Preface, in Borates-Handbook of deposits, 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, Lithium junior Orocobre buys Borax Argentina 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. (Accessed January 25, 20 II, at http:// 

www.metalbulletin.coml.) 

O'Driscoll, Mike, 20 II, 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. (Accessed August 4, 20ll, at http://www.borax.comldetergents/ 

bleaching.htm!.) 

Rio Tinto pIc, 20 II, Fonn 20-F-Annual report for the fiscal year ended 

December 31, 20 I 0: 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, 20 II, 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-20 II 
TABLE I 

SALIENT STATISTICS OF BORON MINERALS AND COMPOUNDS l 

(Thousand metric tons and thousand dollars) 

W W 

W W 

W W 

W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. 

lData are rounded to no more than three significant digits. 

"Minerals and compounds sold or used by producers, iucluding actual mine production, and 

marketable products. 

3Source: U.S. Census Bureau. 

4rncludes orthoboric and anhydrous boric acid. Hannonized Tariff Schedule of the 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) 13.5 
TABLE 2 

BORON MlNERALS OF COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE 

Chemical weight 

Minerall composition percentage 

Boracite (sta:::.ss:.:furi=·.;.:teL

) ____M'::?'g'::lB~p:--I"'lC_:=1--;::-____6;::;2:::,=::-2 

Colemanite Ca2B60ll'5H20 50,8 

Datolite CaBSi040H 24.9 

Hydroboracite CaMgB60 ll '6H20 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,' IOH20 ....~ 

Tincalconite (mo~!l\,ite) Na2B.07'5H20 47,8 

Ulexite (boronatrocalcite) NaCaBs09'8H20 43,0 

Iparentheses indicate common nam';;;: 

TABLE 3 


YEAREND PRICES FOR BORON MlNERALS AND COMPOUNDS l 


(Dollars per metric ton) 


Price, 

December 31, 

free on board plant or port prices per metric ton of product. 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-2011 
TABLE 4 

U.S. EXPORTS OF BORIC ACID AND REFINED SODIUM BORATE COMPOUNDS, BY COUNTR y 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 

New Zealand 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; may not add to totals shown. 


2Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 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] 13.7 
TABLES 

U.S. IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION OF BORIC ACID, 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 are rounded to no more than 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 Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data, not included in total. 

lWorld totals and estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown. 

~able includes data available through June II, 2012. 

3Reported figure. 

4Boron oxide (B20 3) equivaLent. 

'Data are for years bejl;inninjl; March 21 of that stated. 

"Blended Russian data lite are that reportedly grades 8.6% B20 3• 


7Concentrates from ore. 


8Minerals and compounds sold or used by producers, including both actual mine production and marketable products. 


13.8 [ADVANCE RELEASE] U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS 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 of the 

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% of total 

borates consumption. Boron also was used as a component in abrasives, cleaning products, insecticides, and in the 

production of semiconductors. 

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 of exportation, dollars per ton 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 by the absence or presence of calcium and sodium. The four borate mineralscolemanite. kemite, tincal, and ulexite-make up 90% of the borate minerals used by industry worldwide. Although 

borates were used in more than 300 applications, more than three-quarters of the 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 away from 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 next several 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 of the United States, the Alpide belt in southern ASia, and 

the Andean belt of South America. U.S. deposits consist primarily of tincal, kemite, and borates contained in brines, 

and to a lesser extent ulexite and colemanite. About 70% of all 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 lower temperatures 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 

of fatty 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 of ore 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, February 2014 
EUSGS 

science for a changing world 

2011 Minerals Yearbook 


BORON [ADVANCE RELEASE] 


U.S. Department olthe Interior January 2013 

U.S. Geological Survey