Boron demand boosted by China

Global demand for boron – an essential component in the manufacture of glass fibre and borosilicate glass – grew strongly in the three years to 2008, a market report has confirmed.

Growth has been driven by an increase in demand from China, where consumption rose by 15% per year from 2000 to 2008. The report indicates that the increase in market share held by Asian countries reflects a shift in the production of textile-grade glass fibre, borosilicate glass and ceramics away from North America and Europe to countries with lower production costs.

Following the years of strong growth to 2008, 2009 then saw a sharp drop in demand for borates, according to the report. However, it adds, in the second half of the year, markets for both textile-grade glass fibre and borosilicate glass recovered and demand for the latter in liquid crystal display (LCD) screens is forecast to grow by 15% in 2010. This growth will be spurred by the expected continued growth in electronic products, increased use of glass fibre and the emergence of new markets such as turbine blades for wind power generation.