Resources of boron-containing compounds: Extraction, utilization and perspective

Abstract

As one abundant and widely distributed resource, boron-containing compounds (BCC) have become one significant strategic one for the sustainable development of society, and have been widely used in various fields, such as national defence, energy, and biomedicine. As the demand for boron increases, its role has expanded from being a mere raw material to becoming an essential component in the materials industry. In recent decades, various technologies have been employed to extract BCC from aqueous solutions, including absorption, electrochemistry, extraction and so on. Despite the availability of many reviews on BCC, there is still a lack of a comprehensive summary of recent advancements in the extraction and utilization of BCC, particularly with regard to the various extraction methods. Herein, we provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the boron extraction and recovery from brine and boron-containing solutions, and of various applications and potential directions. BCC exhibits great potential for wider and further applications in emerging industrial fields, and offer significant value. It is expected that this comprehensive review will serve as a useful reference for the research and utilization of BCC.