Definition

​Borates are naturally occurring minerals containing boron, the fifth element (“B”) on the Periodic Table. Trace amounts exist in rock, soil and water. Plants need them to grow. People need borates, too, as an important part of a healthy diet and an essential ingredient in many products necessary for an acceptable standard of living.

The element boron does not exist by itself in nature. Rather, boron combines with oxygen and other elements to form boric acid or inorganic mineral salts called borates. Despite the millions of tons of industrial borates mined, processed and distributed around the world every year, far larger quantities of boron are transferred around the planet by way of natural forces. Rain, volcanic activity, condensation and other atmospheric activities redistribute at least twice as much boron as all commercial practices combined.