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Mining - High Purity Boron
16th July 2022 • Borates Today • Brendan McMahon
00:00:00 00:06:20

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Brendan:

Welcome back to the Borates Today podcast.

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Each week we cover a topic that is relevant to the industry and timely.

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We cover the latest industry news.

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Who are the key players in the sector?

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What are the latest trends, driving demand and supply for boron.

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What is the science behind boron and who's doing valuable research into

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new boron applications and benefits?

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We look at how boron helps in advanced energy, in food security,

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and in providing nutrition.

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So don't forget to check out boron applications and benefits

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on our website borates.today.

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In today's podcast, we're going to look at the global high purity

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boron market, which will experience strong growth in the coming years.

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This is mainly due to the increasing demand for boron based products

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across various industries, including electronics, semiconductors

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and in the automotive sector.

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The High Purity Boron Market.

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According to fact.mr., the global high-purity born market is forecast to

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grow at a compound annual growth rate of three and a half percent from just over $1

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billion to nearly one and a half billion dollars in the coming 10 year cycle.

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This is compared to a 2.2 compound annual growth rate between 2017 and 2021.

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These higher numbers are a result of the increasing demand for advanced

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solutions in boron-based chemicals and materials in various industries,

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which we will discuss below.

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Boron is a crucial element in manufacturing a wide range of products,

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including glass, ceramics, detergents, agricultural chemicals, and electronics.

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This growing demand for these products is expected to fuel the growth.

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of the high-purity boron market over the next decade accounting for approximately

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42% of the total boron market.

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As an aside, North America accounts for 35.1% of the boron market share in 2022.

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So what does the growth forecast look like for the next 10 years?

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High purity boron is more expensive than regular boron.

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And it's usually sold as a powder.

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However, the expanding scope of its applications is forecast

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to impact the market's growth.

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High purity boron also produces borides, which are used in the

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pharmaceutical and ceramic industries.

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High purity boron is also gaining popularity in the semiconductor

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industry and for laser technology.

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Small amounts of high-purity boron can be added to semiconductor materials

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to change their electrical properties, making them more efficient and effective.

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The high-purity boron market is further being used as a raw material.

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High purity boron is further being used as a raw material for atomic

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reactor control rods and as a catalyst in organic synthetic mechanisms.

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The low solubility of high-purity boron in water, alcohol, hydrochloric acid, and

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ether is a critical demand driving factor.

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Top players in the high-purity boron market concentrate on developing enriched

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products for specific applications.

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The emerging trend of introducing nanomaterials throughout various

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industries is expected to broaden the application of high-purity boron

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solutions driving further market growth.

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High purity boron is also in high demand in the electronics industry

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for its exceptional performance, quality and affordability.

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As a semiconductor dopant, it produces monocrystalline silicon, which is

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required for electronic applications.

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Furthermore boron carbide is used in military lightweight armor applications.

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So, where does this high-purity boron come from?

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Well, boron is naturally found in the form of borates,

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colemanite and orthoboric acid.

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Global industries primarily use four types of boric, mineral to

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produce various forms of boron.

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Colemanite kernite tinkle and ulexite.

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Turkey and the United States have the most boron resources followed by other parts of

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North and South America, Europe, and Asia.

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Colemanite is the most common type of boron deposit in Turkey, comprising around

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70% of all deposits in that country.

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In the United States, tincal, kernite, and borates in brines make up the majority

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of deposits with ulexite and colemanite occurring in smaller quantities.

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According to estimates, global reserves of boron are sufficient to meet future

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demand at current consumption levels.

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Depending on the final application, manufacturers deliver various grades

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of boron ranging from 99% to 99.999%.

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The higher boron purity levels are marketed as ultra high purity boron.

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As demand for high-purity metals rises, only a few global

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manufacturers will remain dominant.

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One such manufacturer, 5E advanced materials in Fort Cady, California, has

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set out a long term strategy to provide high-purity boron to satisfy the market

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for advanced materials, which contribute to decarbonization, advanced energy

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solutions and industrial agrochemicals.

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5E Advanced Materials, which was previously known as American

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Pacific Borates, is a strategically important mineral asset.

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The asset in Fort Cady is located in Southern California and it's well-placed

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to unlease substantial value through the monetization of the higher purity

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boric acid, as well as standard borates.

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Boric acid is used in a wide range of legacy applications,

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including glasses, fertilizers, ceramics, detergents, and so on.

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But it is the newer rapidly expanding applications driven

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by de-carbonization and advanced energy which are exciting investors.

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Co-product opportunities are happening with the Fort Cady asset base,

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which will improve the relative cost curve and associated economics.

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As a result, 5E Advanced Materials is well positioned to

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capitalize on this opportunity and increase its shareholder value.

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And that's all from Borates Today.

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For more information on the high purity boron market, please

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refer to Borates Today website.

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