Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 57,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Decarbonisation progress update
We have a clear plan on decarbonisation - find out more about our progress in 2024
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Investor seminars
Our Investor seminar will be held in London on 4 December, and our Decarbonisation update on 5 December
Get the latest news, stories and updates
Things you can't live without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
The 'f' word of innovation
How unlocking innovation requires a change of mindset
Reducing titanium oxide's carbon footprint
Our BlueSmelting technology could drastically reduce carbon emissions during ore processing
Discover more about life at Rio Tinto
Graduates and students
If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
Empowering families with flexibility
Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
Available jobs
Join our team
Deposited millions of years ago, borates are crystallised salts that contain boron.
Boron is a mineral essential to plant growth, so it is used in fertilisers, but it is also used in high tech applications, such as the heat-resistant glass for smartphones, materials for renewable energy – like wind, solar and EV batteries, wood protection and fiberglass insulation.
Commercially viable quantities of this rare and versatile mineral have been found in very few places in the world. One is in California’s Mojave Desert, where we started mining more than 150 years ago first in Death Valley and then moving, in 1927, to Boron.
Today our Boron operations in California, supply approximately 30% of global demand for refined borates, from one of the world’s 2 largest borate deposits.
Heat-resistant glass takes centre stage in the world of smartphones, tablets and televisions. Borates help make this glass possible. A typical smartphone or tablet touchscreen contains 2 types of glass: cover glass, the borates-bearing, scratch-resistant surface that you touch; and substrate glass, enabling the technology for the display itself.
The mule teams that hauled borates out of our original mines in Death Valley are long gone, but the symbol endures in the 20 Mule Team® Borax brand – a symbol of high quality and consistency, supply reliability, technical support and service.
Borates have a variety of industrial uses. For example, boron is a micronutrient essential to plant growth. Our boron contains calcium-free sodium borates, which are optimal for agricultural use. We refine our borate minerals into boron-rich micronutrient fertilisers that help farmers, around the world, grow better crops in greater quantities.
Some of the many uses of boron include: glass, fibreglass, flame-retardants, ceramics, detergents, wood protection, pesticides, fertilisers, batteries and capacitors.
Trace amounts are found in soil, water, plants and animals. The element boron does not exist by itself in nature. It combines with oxygen and other elements to form salts called borates.
It is the fifth element in the periodic table.
Arabian gold and silversmiths used them. It is thought that ancient Babylonian goldsmiths could have used borates as far back as 2,000 BCE.
Borates’ unique properties enhance stain removal, whiten and brighten fabrics, and soften water, which is why they are used to produce laundry detergents, household or industrial cleaners and personal care products.
They coat the ceramic tiles on the underside of a space shuttle to help it withstand the thermal shock of re-entry. Thermal shock occurs when temperatures change suddenly, as when the shuttle leaves the freezing temperatures of space and re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
This is the largest single use for the mineral worldwide.
Such as the tough cover heat-resistant glass in smartphones, tablets and other electronic displays.
It is integral to a plant's reproductive cycle, aiding with flowering, pollen production, germination, and seed and fruit development.
Boron is present everywhere in the environment but substantial deposits of borates are relatively rare. In fact, ores that contain boron are among the rarest minerals on Earth.
We mine borates, a naturally occurring mineral, from our mine in Boron, California, which we then refine and transform into products essential to modern living.
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