Boric acid, also known as hydrogen borate, boracic acid, or acidum boricum, is a white, odorless, weak monobasic acid commonly available in the form of mineral called sassolite and in powder form. Commercially, it can be prepared by reaction of borax with mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid. It has wide range of applications such as antiseptic in medical industry and as pH buffer and sanitizer for swimming pools. It is also used in the production of lubricant with oils for ceramic and metal surfaces.

Market Dynamics

Major driver for growth of the global boric acid market is increasing application of boron in fiberglass and specialty glass (carbon fiber). Boric acid offers specific benefits to glass such as chemical and heat resistance, can reduce melting point, viscosity and increase breakage index, and offers transparency and brightness to glass. According to American Composites Manufacturers Association, the global fiberglass market size was over US$ 13 billion in 2016, and it is expected to increase to US$ 20 billion by 2024. Moreover, the demand for aerospace carbon fiber is expected to reach 22,100 tons by 2020.

Market Outlook

Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the market, with China and India poised as the growth engine. This is owing to increasing medicinal use of boric acid as antiseptic. For instance, according to International Trade Association, China is the second largest pharmaceutical market worldwide and the pharmaceutical market of China was valued at US$ 108 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach US$ 167 billion by 2020, witnessing a CAGR of 9.1%. Moreover, China's total public and private healthcare expenditure was valued at US$ 640 billion in 2015, and expected to reach US$ 1.1 trillion by 2020.

Key Developments

In August 2018, Global Geoscience Limited produced boric acid at its Rhyolite Ridge lithium/boron project (Nevada, U.S.). The boric acid was produced using conventional commercial processes. The production demonstrated projects’ ability to produce premium products which can be scaled up for commercial production. The project has capacity to produce 1,60,000 to 2,20,000 tons of boric acid and 20,000 to 30,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually.

Key players operating in the global boric acid market include, 3M, Avantor Performance Materials, BASF SE, U.S. Borax, Eti Maden, Gujarat Boron Derivatives, Minera Santa Rita (MSR), Quiborax, Russian Bor, and Tomiyama Pure Chemicals Industries, Babcock International Group, and others.

Market Taxonomy

On the basis of application, the global boric acid market is segmented into:

Medical
Flame Retardants
Glass and Fiberglass
Wood Preservatives
Pest Control (Household)
Others (Nutritional Supplements etc.)

On the basis of end-use industry, the global boric acid market is segmented into:

Building and Construction
Ceramics
Pharmaceuticals
Agriculture
Oil & Gas
Others

On the basis of region, the global boric acid market is segmented into:

North America
- U.S.
- Canada
Europe
- U.K.
- Germany
- Italy
- France
- Russia
- Spain
- Rest of Europe
Asia Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- ASEAN
- Australia
- South Korea
- Rest of Asia Pacific
Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Argentina
- Rest of Latin America
Middle East
- GCC
- Israel
- Rest of Middle East
Africa
- Northern Africa
- Central Africa
- South Africa

About Author

Yash Doshi is a Senior Management Consultant. He has 12+ years of experience in conducting research and handling consulting projects across verticals in APAC, EMEA, and the Americas.

He brings strong acumen in helping chemical companies navigate complex challenges and identify growth opportunities. He has deep expertise across the chemicals value chain, including commodity, specialty and fine chemicals, plastics and polymers, and petrochemicals. Yash is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences and contributes to various publications on topics related commodity, specialty and fine chemicals, plastics and polymers, and petrochemicals.