Consumption of borate in the detergents industry continues to be affected by environmental concerns, according to a report from London-based Roskill Information Services.
Economics of Boron (10th edition) predicts that a move away from chlorine-based bleaches to perborate bleaches will boost borate consumption in North America. Meanwhile, consumption in Western Europe will decline, partly because of stringent regulations concerning levels of boron in drinking water.
Boron is a nonmetallic element occurring naturally only in combination, as in borax or boric acid. It is obtained in either an amorphous or a crystalline form when reduced from its compounds. Borate is a salt or ester of boric acid, which itself is used in the manufacture of ceramics, cements, glass and enamels.
As the U.S. detergents market moves away from chlorine-based bleaches, Roskill expects considerable growth in demand for borates.
The glass market accounted for around 43% of all world boron consumption in 2001. Insulation-grade fibreglass is the largest end use for boron compounds in the American glass industry, accounting for 66% of the total. Textile-grade fibreglass and borosilicate glass accounted for 25% and 9% of the total, respectively.
World consumption of boron has almost doubled since 1970. In 2001 world borate consumption reached 1.5 million tonnes of B2O3.
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