Main Uses of Boron Minerals

Boron is an important chemical raw material. The primary use of boron ore is to produce borax, boric acid, elemental boron, and other boron compounds, which are widely applied in many sectors of the national economy.

1. Building Materials Industry

The glass industry is the largest consumer of borax. Adding a certain amount of borax to glass production enhances thermal stability, increases ultraviolet transmittance, and improves transparency and impact resistance. In recent years, boric acid has also been extensively used in the manufacturing of fiberglass, which is not only a key material for producing fiberglass-reinforced plastics but also a new material in construction, machinery, and naphthalene industries.

In the ceramics industry, borax can be used as a catalyst. It also serves as an additive in the production of preservatives, high-temperature crucibles, paints, etc.

2. Light Industry

Borax is an essential raw material for enamel products, enhancing their strength and gloss, improving the heat resistance of the glaze, and significantly increasing the expansion coefficient.

In the printing and dyeing industry, borax is commonly used as a scouring agent to remove oil, wax, and pigments from natural cotton fibers, and it also has a bleaching effect on the fabric, facilitating dyeing.

In the paper industry, boron compounds are a new type of paper coating that enhances gloss and fire resistance, and they are also used as treatment agents for mercury-containing wastewater in paper production.

Some boron compounds can also be made into fire retardants, fire-resistant coatings, paint driers, anti-rust paints, etc.

3. Metallurgical Industry

Adding boron compounds in the metallurgical industry can produce special steels like boron steel, which exhibit high strength, corrosion resistance, and heat resistance, making them ideal for key components such as jet engines.

Adding a small amount of boron to metals like aluminum, molybdenum, and nickel improves their mechanical properties. Boron also serves as an anti-oxidant in the casting of magnesium and its alloys. Iron-boron-silicon amorphous metal is a high-tech material; when used as transformer cores to replace silicon steel sheets, it can save up to 3/4 of electricity.

4. Machinery Industry

In the machinery industry, boron is used for grinding, polishing, drilling, and other processes involving hard materials like hard alloys and gemstones.

Boronizing is a new process in machining that enhances the hardness, wear resistance, and oxidation resistance of component surfaces.

5. Chemical Industry

Borax and boric acid can be used as additives in daily chemical products like soaps and detergents. Boron-containing detergents offer benefits such as hair protection, strong cleaning power, and environmental friendliness. Some boron compounds can also serve as effective reducing agents, catalysts, brominating agents, etc.

6. Electronics Industry

Among boron compounds, some are insulating materials, while others are good conductive materials with semiconductor properties and electron emission capabilities. They are used to manufacture various electronic components and devices, such as igniter electrodes for ignition tubes, telecommunications equipment, capacitors, semiconductor dopants, insulators for high-voltage high-frequency electricity and plasma arcs, and radar transmission windows.

7. Nuclear Energy and Defense Industries

Boron has a significant neutron absorption capacity, making it suitable for use as control rods in nuclear reactors and as structural materials in nuclear reactors.

Boron carbide, with its high melting point, compressive strength, radiation resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance, is an ideal protective material for aviation and armor. Some boron compounds are used to manufacture nozzles, combustion chamber components, and parts for jet engines. Boron hydrides are commonly used as propellants in fuels.

8. Agriculture

In agriculture, boron is used to produce boron fertilizers, insecticides, etc.