Borate Supply And Demand

Production of boron minerals is geographically restricted, the main centres of production being Turkey, California in the USA, the Andes of northern Argentina and Chile, with fragmented production in China and one significant producer in Russia. The market can be split between a few, large volume consumers - fibre and borosilicate glass, detergents, ceramics and enamels, which mainly consume boron mineral concetrates, borax, and boric acid - and a very large number of other applications consuming a diverse range of boron compounds and chemicals. This article will first outline borate production before examining the main markets in more detail.