Where is boron found?
Boron is primarily obtained from boron mines, located in arid regions of Turkey and the USA, and also in Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, and Peru. Boron can also be found in different final products made from these boron minerals, including fibreglass, borosilicate glass, fire retardants, laundry bleach, agricultural fertilizers and herbicides, and many others. More… Boron enters the environment mainly from the weathering of boron-containing rocks, from seawater in the form of boric acid vapour and from volcanic and other geothermal activity such as geothermal steam. Boron is also released, though to a lesser extent, from human activities. These include the use of borate-containing fertilizers and herbicides, the burning of plant-based products such as wood, coal, or oil, and the release of waste from borate mining and processing. Borates also reach the environment due to the use of borates and perborates in the home and in industry, through leaching from treated wood or paper, and
2.1 Boron is primarily obtained from boron mines, located in arid regions of Turkey and the USA, and also in Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, and Peru. Boron can also be found in different final products made from these boron minerals, including fibreglass, borosilicate glass, fire retardants, laundry bleach, agricultural fertilizers and herbicides, and many others. More…
The primary source of both boron and borates is the mining of boron-containing minerals such as colemanite, ulexite, tincal, and kernite. Only certain deposits can be mined economically. These are located in arid regions of Turkey and the USA, and also in Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, and Peru. The total world production of boron minerals was approximately 2 750 000 tonnes in 1994. About 250 000 tonnes of boron, corresponding to 800 000 tonnes of boron oxide (B2O3), was present in commercial borate products manufactured from these minerals. Click here for information on measuring methods and units for boron Commercial borate compounds are used in the manufacture of many different commercial products. These include insulation and textile-grade fibreglass, borosilicate glass, fire retardants, enamels, ceramic glazes, frits, laundry bleach (sodium perborate), agricultural fertilizers and herbicides as well as many other applications. More…
The world wide commercial borate deposits are estimated to be 10(10 zeros over10)kg of boron. Turkey and the United States are the world’s largest producers of boron. Turkey has almost 72% of the world’s boron potential and boron reserves. Boron does not appear on Earth in elemental form but is found combined in borax, boric acid, colemanite, kernite, ulexite and borates. Boric acid is sometimes found in volcanic spring waters. Ulexite is a borate mineral that naturally has properties of fiber optics. Economically important sources are from the ore rasorite (kernite) and tincal (borax ore) which are both found in the Mojave Desert of California, with borax being the most important source there. The largest borax deposits are found in Central and Western Turkey including the provinces of Eskişehir, Kütahya and Balıkesir.
