Boron

The element boron, which is not found in free form in nature, appears in compounds with different elements and minerals. Common boron minerals in our country are tincal, colemanite and ulexite. Boron minerals, which are used in different fields on a sectoral basis, are widely used in the glass industry. Boron oxide increases the fluidity of glass, improves surface hardness and durability. It is also used in glazes and frits in the ceramic industry.

Boron is used as colemanite in cement production and improves cement properties.

Boron compounds are used as protective slag-forming and melting accelerators in the non-ferrous metal industry. Boron carbide is used in military applications, armor materials, in the production of wear-resistant machine parts and as a neutron trap in nuclear applications.  It has also started to be used in the shale gas sector.

Cleaning products have been developed under the Boron brand. Boron cleaning products have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. In addition, BOREL hand sanitizer was also produced as part of the fight against Covid-19.

Türkiye, the United States, Argentina, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Russia, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Bolivia, Peru and Chile have economic size boron deposits. Türkiye has 73% of the world's boron reserves and is the leader in refined and raw boron production. 

World boron production capacity is estimated at 5.7 million tons. Türkiye is the largest producer, followed by the USA, Russia, Chile, China, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia and Germany.

Approximately 84% of the world boron consumption is utilized in glass, ceramics, agriculture and detergent-cleaning industries.

The production, operation and marketing of boron minerals in Türkiye is entrusted to the General Directorate of Eti Maden İşletmeleri (Eti Maden). Eti Maden operates in boron deposits located in various regions of Türkiye. Eti Maden's four Operation Directorates (Kırka Boron Operation Directorate, Emet Boron Operation Directorate, Bandırma Boron and Acid Factories Operation Directorate, Bigadiç Boron Operation Directorate) produce refined boron products.

Kırka Boron Operations Directorate produces tincal from the Kırka-Sarıkaya formation in Eskişehir. Kırka-Sarıkaya formation constitutes approximately 20% of the world's tincal reserves and 25% of the boron reserves in Türkiye. Kırka Boron Operations Diroctorate produces approximately 3 million tons of tincal annually. This tincal is converted into borax pentahydrate, borax decahydrate, anhydrous borax, calcined tincal and a boron cleaning product called Etimatik at Kırka Boron Operations Directorate.

Emet Boron Operations Directorate produces colemanite ore from the Hisarcık-Espey formation in Kütahya. The Hisarcık-Espey formation accounts for approximately 40% of the world's colemanite reserves and 55% of the reserves in Türkiye. Emet Boron Operations Directorate feeds the colemanite ore extracted from open pits to concentrators for physical beneficiation. The concentrated colemanite produced is grinded to the desired size in the mills and turned into grinded product.

Bandırma Boron and Acid Factories Operations Directorate and Bigadiç Boron Operations Directorate process tincal and colemanite extracted from the fields owned by other enterprises. These enterprises produce tincal and colemanite, boric acid, Etibor-48, borax decahydrate/borax pentahydrate, grinded colemanite, anhydrous borax, Etidot-67, zinc borate.

In addition to the launch of the boron carbide production facility, the ferrobor production facility has also started to be established with the aim of growing intermediate-end products.

In addition, the National Boron Research Institute, which was established in order to ensure the wide use of boron products and technologies in the world and in Türkiye, the production and development of new boron products, to provide the necessary scientific environment for the research of users in different fields, to carry out scientific researches by cooperating with public and private legal entities that use boron and its products and conduct research in this field, to coordinate and contribute to these researches, continues to carry out its activities as TENMAK BOREN under the roof of TENMAK with the Presidential Decree No. 57 published in the Official News dated 28/03/2020 and numbered 31082.

TENMAK BOREN carries out programs and projects, publishes scientific publications and organizes events related to boron in order to research, develop and expand the use of boron products and technologies. At TENMAK BOREN, where boron-related knowledge is produced, technique and experience are developed and ultimately transformed into technology in the cooperation and coordination of university-public-private sector by sharing the knowledge, experience and process, studies continue with a multidisciplinary approach.

Among the countries we export boron to are China, the USA, Russia and India. In 2022, around 2.4 million tons of boron was exported and $1.18 billion was earned.

Date of Update: 22 june 2023