Irene Schrufer-Kolb asks about early/present borax production.
She says this is not strictly mining related but, as you dig it out of
the ground, I think it is!
I presume historical sources were, because of geology, much the
same as current sources, the New World apart.
Looking in a recent issue of Metals and Minerals Annual Review,
(part of what used to be Mining Journal's Mining Annual Review) I
find the following.
The leading supplier of borate minerals is the Turkish state company
Etibank, which "continued to exploit the world's largest deposits".
Other sources are Russia, at Dalnegorsk, and China, in the Liaoning
and Jilin provinces. ( I am not sure where these are, but they could be
in or near Tibet ). Despite having its own production, China imports
borax from Russia.
Modern New World sources include a number of operations in
California, notably Rio Tinto Borax at Boron; another Rio Tinto
operation at Tincalaya, Argentina; and other sources in Chile and
Bolivia.
Current total world production is equivalent to 1.25 million tonnes
a year of Boron Trioxide.
Please note ( this may be important in a historical context ) that an
alternative name for borax is "tincal" -- Rutley's Mineralogy in
particular notes that the mineral from Tibet was known as tincal.
This, no doubt, also explains the name of the Rio Tinto mine in
Argentina.
I hope this helps.
Tony Brewis
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