Boron-based products are transformed by Eti Maden into products with high added value and a wide area of use thanks to a variety of Research and Development projects. Boron and boron-based products are used for increasingly durable insulation materials by the construction and cement sectors. Making buildings stronger and more resistant to heat, boron and boron-based insulation materials are used in the production of lightweight and low-cost products.
In the field of nuclear applications, boron steel, boron carbide and titanium-boron alloys are widely used for atom reactors. Since boron steel is highly resistant to oxidation, it is the preferred neutron absorbent. Each boron atom can absorb approximately one neutron. Boron and boron-based products are also used for the control systems and the cooling ponds of atom reactors, as well as the alarm shutdown systems of the reactors. Moreover, colemanite is used in the storage of nuclear waste.
In the automobile industry, boron is used in the production of antifreeze and airbags with the aim of helping airbags inflate immediately. Upon impact, the mixture of elemental boron and potassium nitrate powder is activated by electronic sensors.
Boron and boron-based products are also used in rocket and plane fuel. They are utilized as additives in fuels with special applications.
Boron-based products come to the forefront in the nanotechnology industry as well, thanks to their protective and endurance increasing properties in nano-coating.
With regard to solid fuels, Research and Development projects are being conducted to lower the costs of the production of fuel cells, which create energy using sodium borohydride. The chemical bonds of sodium borohydride contain hydrogen and the catalyst exposes it. The fundamental principle in this process is the reaction of water and borax. After being produced through this reaction, hydrogen can be fed directly with internal combustion engines or used in fuel cells.
Moreover, boron products are also used in many other fields, such as the fiber-optics, cosmetics, and the rubber and plastic industries, as well as photography, explosives (e.g. pyrotechnics), petroleum-based paints, sandpaper and corrosives, composite materials, magnetic devices, advanced technological research, and embalming.
