Colemanite

Colemanite is a borate mineral typically found in evaporite deposits. It is characterised by its glassy, white or grey appearance and is a primary source of boron. The leading producers of colemanite are Turkey, the United States, and Argentina. Colemanite is mainly used to provide boron content for industrial applications including steelmaking where boron is an important alloying element, as it improves the mechanical properties of steel, particularly by enhancing its hardness, strength, and wear resistance.

Sub-Category	Abbreviation	Core Content Range	Size Range
Colemanite	Ca2B6O11·5H2O	B2O3 40-100%	n/a

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of colemanite with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of colemanite and buyers to discover new suppliers of colemanite.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows steel mills and other consumers to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions. For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, and optimise their sales book.

The leading producers of colemanite are:

• Turkey – ~70% of global production
• United States – ~10% of global production
• Argentina – ~<10% of global production
• Chile – ~5% of global production
• Peru – ~<5% of global production

Some of the key producers of colemanite include:

• Eti Maden (Turkey) – ~60% of global colemanite production, leading the borate industry
• Rio Tinto Borates (USA) – ~10%, a major supplier of boron products
• Borax Argentina (Argentina) – ~<10%, focused on borate minerals including colemanite
• SQM (Chile) – ~5%, producing borates for use in agriculture and industry
• Turkish Mining Corporation – ~5%, specialising in boron mineral production.

Colemanite is mined from evaporite deposits through open-pit mining methods. The raw material is crushed, processed, and refined to extract boron. The extracted colemanite is then used in various industries, particularly in glass and ceramics production, where boron content is essential for enhancing material properties.

Colemanite is primarily used in glassmaking, where it improves thermal and chemical resistance. It is also used in ceramics (~30%) to enhance durability and reduce shrinkage. In steelmaking, colemanite is primarily used as a source of boron. Boron is an important alloying element in steel production, as it improves the mechanical properties of steel, particularly by enhancing its hardness, strength, and wear resistance. Colemanite may also be used as a fluxing agent in steel production to help lower the melting temperature of unwanted materials in the production process.