Borate minerals are natural compounds that contain varying amounts of boron oxide in their structure. There are over 230 different borate minerals found in nature. Commercially significant borate minerals include tincal, colemanite, kernite, ulexite, pandermite, boracite, szaibelyite, and hydroboracite. Tincal, colemanite, and ulexite are the primary borate minerals which are turned by the world’s boron leader Eti Maden into high value-added products in line with international quality standards.
Major Borate Minerals with Commercial Significance
| Kernite | Na2B407.4H2O |
| Tincalconite | Na2B407.5H2O |
| Tincal | Na2B407.10H2O |
| Probertite | NaCaB509.5H2O |
| Ulexite | NaCaB509.8H2O |
| Colemanite | Ca2B6O11.5H2O |
| Meyerhofferite | Ca2B6O11.7H2O |
| Inyoite | Ca2B6O11. 13H2O |
| Pandermite | Ca4B10O19.7H2O |
| Inderite | Mg2B6O11.15H2O |
| Hydroboracite | CaMgB6O11.6H2O |
| Boracite | Mg3B7O13Cl |
| Ascharite | Mg2B2O5.H2O |
| Datolite | Ca2B2Si2O9.H2O |
| Sassolite (natural boric acid) |
Increasing in value after being treated at Eti Maden with various mining techniques, borate minerals are enriched through physical processes and turned into concentrated boron products. Afterwards, they are refined in line with global standards at Eti Maden’s facilities and transformed into highly efficient, profitable and sustainable boron products for industrial use, particularly in the glass, ceramics, agriculture, cleaning and detergent industries.
Eti Maden is shaping the future of boron, gradually expanding its product portfolio compared with previous years. Currently, Eti Maden has 17 refined boron products in its portfolio, offering a wide product range as well as various specifications. Some of its most important refined boron products include Etibor-48, Borax Decahydrate, Boric Acid, Etidot-67, Etibor-68 (Anhydrous Borax), Zinc Borate, Boron Oxide, Ground Colemanite, and Ground Ulexite.
Through its Research and Development efforts, Eti Maden aims to increase the number of application areas for boron products. Plans are underway to increase the application areas of boron in space and aviation vehicles, nuclear science, military vehicles, fuel, electronics and communication, polymeric materials, nanotechnology, the automotive and energy industries, metallurgy, and construction.
One product born of Eti Maden’s Research and Development activities is Etimatik, a boron-based cleaning product. It is a natural, domestic herbal soap that contains only petrochemical-free substances and is sensitive to the environment and human health. Furthermore, agricultural products containing boron are currently being developed with Etidot-67, which plays a major role in the growth of plants.
