Boron: Overview
Glass, ceramics, soap and crops: where boron goes
What this tab covers What the commodity is used for, why, in what volumes and with what alternatives, and its chain from mine or field to end user. Also the latest price moves, top recent news, three things to know, and buttons into each tab.Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass: insulation fibreglass, textile (reinforcement) glass fibre, borosilicate glass for labware, cookware, pharmaceutical vials and displays | 55% | about 2.9 Mt of boron minerals a year (indicative)basis | Boric oxide lowers the melting point of glass and its thermal expansion, so borosilicate survives heat shocks and chemical attack. In glass fibre it helps fiberise the melt and gives strength. Insulation and textile fibre for wind blades and composites take the largest tonnages. Conway notes boron glass vials were central to COVID-19 vaccine distribution. EU CRM study 2023; USGS MCS 2026 | Cellulose, foams and mineral wool for insulation (USGS) Soda-lime glass where heat resistance is not needed Boron-free E-glass formulations for some textile fibre |
| Frits, glazes and ceramics (tiles, enamels, sanitaryware) | 17% | about 0.9 Mt of boron minerals a year (indicative)basis | Borates act as fluxes in ceramic glazes and enamel frits, lowering firing temperatures and giving a smooth, durable surface. Large tile industries in China, India, Brazil and Turkey buy colemanite and borax for this. EU CRM study 2023; USGS MCS 2026 | Phosphate-based glass formers in some enamels (USGS) Other fluxes such as alkali feldspars at higher firing temperatures |
| Fertilisers (boron micronutrient) | 15% | about 0.8 Mt of boron minerals a year (indicative)basis | Boron is an essential micronutrient for cell walls and pollination. Oilseeds, fruit, cotton and sugar beet suffer on boron-deficient soils, so small doses of borax, boric acid or ulexite are added to fertiliser blends or foliar sprays. EU CRM study 2023 | None for the nutrient itself Different borate forms (ulexite, colemanite, sodium borates) |
| Detergents, soaps and cleaning products | n/a | n/a basis | Sodium perborate was long used as a bleach and borax as a water softener and buffer in laundry products. This use is shrinking because of regulation and cheaper substitutes. USGS MCS 2026 | Sodium percarbonate (works at lower temperatures, USGS) Sodium and potassium fatty-acid salts in soaps (USGS) |
| Chemicals, construction materials (flame retardants, plasters, wood preservatives) and insecticides | 8% | about 0.4 Mt of boron minerals a year (indicative)basis | Boric acid and zinc borate retard flames in cellulose insulation, plastics and textiles and protect wood against insects and fungi. Boron compounds are also reagents and catalysts in chemicals and pharmaceuticals. EU CRM study 2023; USGS MCS 2026 | Aluminium hydroxide and phosphorus flame retardants Copper-based wood preservatives |
| Metals, magnets and high-tech (NdFeB magnets, boron steel, semiconductors, nuclear control) | 4% | about 0.2 Mt of boron minerals a year (indicative)basis | Tiny additions of boron harden steel; boron is about 1% of neodymium-iron-boron magnets; it dopes silicon in semiconductors; and boron-10 absorbs neutrons in reactor control rods. Tonnages are small but the uses are strategic, which is why the EU lists boron as strategic. EU CRM study 2023; USGS MCS 2026 | Few for magnets and neutron control Other hardenability elements (manganese, chromium, molybdenum) in steel |
From mine to user
- 1. Borate deposits Borates form in arid volcanic basins: the Mojave Desert (US), the Alpide belt through Turkey, and the Andes. Four minerals (colemanite, kernite, tincal, ulexite) make up 90% of what industry uses (USGS).
- 2. Mining Mostly open-pit. Turkey holds 950 Mt of reserves; the US 48 Mt (USGS 2026). Two US companies also solution-mine brines.
- 3. Concentration Ore is crushed, washed and classified to raise B2O3 grade; colemanite and ulexite concentrates are sold direct to glass and ceramic plants.
- 4. Refining Tincal and kernite are dissolved and recrystallised into borax (sodium borate) or reacted with sulphuric acid to make boric acid. Products are priced on B2O3 content.
- 5. Export Turkey supplied 57.2% of world natural borate export value in 2024 and the US exported about 600 kt of refined borax and 260 kt of boric acid in 2025 (Comtrade; USGS).
- 6. Industrial use Glass fibre, borosilicate glass, ceramic frits, fertiliser blends and chemicals; China, Brazil and India were the top importers of natural borates in 2024 (32.1%, 21.3%, 11.3% of value).
- 7. End of life Boron is dissipated in glass, soil and wastewater. EU end-of-life recycling input is 1% (EU CRM 2023).
Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25
No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
World production 5.24 m tonnes, 2024 Largest producer Turkey 44.86% of worldThree things to know
- Turkey reports about 87% of the boron reserves that USGS lists by country.
- Serbia's Jadar lithium-boron project, an EU strategic project, was planned to make 286,000 t a year of boric acid.
- Boron was added to the US 2025 critical list after public comment, even though the United States is a net borate exporter.
Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days
- Boron One boosts Serbia project economics in updated studyMining.com · 2026-10-14
- Here’s why these new magnets could free us from rare-earth metalsFutura, le média qui explore le monde · 2026-09-28