Chinese team reports way to extract hypersonic weapon fuel boron from seawater

Scientists from Northwest A&F University in China have developed an innovative technology to extract and collect boron from seawater.

Boron is a lightweight element used as solid fuel in scramjet engines on some advanced Chinese hypersonic weapons.

Neodymium-iron-boron rare earth magnets – used extensively in industrial and military applications – have drawn particular attention amid ongoing trade tensions over critical minerals. These high-performance rare-earth magnets not only rely on neodymium and iron but also require boron during manufacturing, making access to all three elements strategically important in global supply chains.

China has the highest demand for boron worldwide but it is not a major producer. Turkey and the United States together produce most of the world’s boron minerals.

Seawater contains trace amounts of boron, which traditional reverse osmosis desalination technology cannot remove, and may even concentrate. Long-term consumption of purified water containing boron is harmful to human health.

  

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