Boron
(information)
Certainly! Here's a visual representation of the global consumption of boron by industry, based on the most recent data: --- ### 📊 Global Boron Consumption by Industry (2023)  ([Office of Dietary Supplements][1]) *Source: [Advances in Technologies for Boron Removal from Water: A Comprehensive Review](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-proportion-of-boron-consumption-in-various-industries_fig2_363058254)* --- ### 🔍 Industry Breakdown * **Glass & Ceramics**: Approximately **65%** of global boron consumption. * **Agriculture**: Around **11%**, primarily in fertilizers and soil amendments. * **Detergents & Soaps**: About **6%**, used as water softeners and cleaning agents. * **Other Applications**: The remaining **18%** encompasses various uses, including: * **Abrasives & Polishing Agents**: Utilized in cutting, grinding, and polishing materials. * **Fire Retardants**: Incorporated into textiles and building materials. * **Semiconductors**: Used in the production of electronic components. * **Nuclear Applications**: Boron isotopes are employed in neutron absorption. * **Pharmaceuticals**: Involved in the synthesis of certain medications. * **Cosmetics & Personal Care**: Used in formulations for skin and hair products. * **Glass Fiber Reinforcement**: Enhances the strength and durability of fiberglass. * **Boronated Fuels**: Investigated for use in advanced propulsion systems. * **Specialty Alloys**: Contributes to the properties of high-performance materials. * **Water Treatment**: Employed in the removal of contaminants from water sources. --- If you would like more detailed information on any of these applications or further breakdowns by region or specific products, feel free to ask! [1]: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Boron-HealthProfessional/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Boron - Health Professional Fact Sheet"Known Methods of Extraction
### **Primary Methods (Commercial Scale)** 1. **Mining Borate Minerals**: - Minerals like borax, kernite, colemanite, and ulexite are mined from surface or underground deposits. 2. **Dissolution in Water (Borax Extraction)**: - Borax is dissolved in hot water, and impurities are removed by filtration. 3. **Crystallization**: - Boron is purified by cooling the solution to precipitate borates like borax decahydrate or pentahydrate. 4. **Calcination of Borate Minerals**: - Heating borate minerals (e.g., colemanite) to remove water and produce anhydrous boric oxide or boron compounds. 5. **Solvent Extraction**: - Organic solvents are used to selectively extract boron from aqueous solutions of borates. 6. **Acid Leaching**: - Boron-containing minerals are treated with acids (e.g., sulfuric or hydrochloric acid) to produce boric acid or other boron compounds. 7. **Alkaline Leaching**: - Minerals like colemanite are treated with alkaline solutions (e.g., sodium hydroxide) to extract boron. 8. **Direct Fusion**: - Boron minerals are fused with fluxes like sodium carbonate to produce water-soluble borates. --- ### **Refining and Processing** 9. **Purification by Ion Exchange**: - Ion exchange resins are used to remove impurities from boron solutions. 10. **Electrodialysis**: - An electric field is applied to separate boron from impurities in aqueous solutions. 11. **Precipitation of Boric Acid**: - Boron is precipitated as boric acid by acidifying a borate solution with a strong acid. 12. **Conversion to Boron Trioxide (B₂O₃)**: - Boric acid is heated to remove water, producing boron trioxide, an important industrial compound. 13. **Reduction to Elemental Boron**: - Boron trioxide is reduced with magnesium, aluminum, or hydrogen to produce pure elemental boron. --- ### **Alternative Sources** 14. **Extraction from Seawater**: - Boron is extracted in small amounts from seawater using adsorption or chemical separation. 15. **Geothermal Brine Extraction**: - Boron is recovered from geothermal brines, often as a byproduct of geothermal energy production. 16. **Extraction from Coal Fly Ash**: - Coal fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, contains trace amounts of boron that can be extracted. 17. **Borate Recovery from Industrial Waste**: - Boron is recovered from waste streams in industries like glass, ceramics, and fertilizer manufacturing. 18. **Extraction from Volcanic Deposits**: - Certain volcanic deposits contain borate minerals that can be mined and processed. --- ### **Experimental and Emerging Methods** 19. **Nanotechnology-Based Adsorption**: - Advanced adsorbents, such as nanomaterials, are being developed for boron recovery from aqueous solutions. 20. **Biological Extraction**: - Use of microorganisms to solubilize boron from ores or industrial waste streams.
