Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Purpose & Values
The drive for innovation and continuous improvement is at the heart of our purpose
Business Strategy
Climate change is at the heart of our business strategy
Innovation
Finding better ways to do things is in our DNA
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
Copper
Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Tailings
Details of our tailings facilities can be found on our interactive tailings disclosure map
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Acquisition of Arcadium Lithium
Bringing our scale, development capabilities and financial strength to the Arcadium Lithium portfolio
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Things you can't live without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
The 'f' word of innovation
How unlocking innovation requires a change of mindset
Reducing titanium oxide's carbon footprint
Our BlueSmelting technology could drastically reduce carbon emissions during ore processing
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Graduates and students
If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
Empowering families with flexibility
Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
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To meet global needs, we need to use energy more efficiently and make the most of the energy resources we have, now and in future.
Manufacturers are searching for ways to build more efficient and durable solar energy products. Additives like boron can enhance performance and support longer product lifespans.
Boron is essential to plant growth, so it’s used in fertilisers, but also high-tech applications, such as heat-resistant glass for smartphones, materials for renewable energy – for both wind and solar projects, wood protection and fiberglass insulation. Crystallised salts that contain boron are called borates.
California and Nevada are particularly rich in borate deposits. We started mining in the area more than 150 years ago first in Death Valley and then moving, in 1927, to Boron, California. Today, our California operations, in the Mojave Desert, supply approximately 30% of global demand for refined borates.
Boron is a versatile additive used in several solar energy products across multiple applications, including the most critical function: Converting sunlight into energy.
Solar panels are a widely used renewable energy technology. They are covered with photovoltaic (solar) cells that absorb energy from the sunlight and then convert it into electricity, which is then routed to the energy grid or a power storage unit.
In solar panels, boron is found in two critical components:
Solar cells are the parts of solar panels that transform light into electricity. These are made of 2 layers of silicon: p-type, which has a positive charge, and n-type, with a negative charge. The magic happens in between these layers – electricity is generated and ultimately pushed to the energy grid.
While silicon itself is strong and stable, it’s a poor conductor. So manufacturers add other materials to the silicon to change its properties and improve its conductivity. In solar cells, boron is added to the p-type silicon layer and phosphorous to the n-type layer.
Adding these materials to the silicon, also known as doping, creates a difference in the number of electrons each layer has – the n-type has more and the p-type, fewer. After doping, manufacturers join these two layers together to create an electrical field, where one layer is negatively charged and the other, positively.
Once the cell is exposed to the sun, photons from the sunlight free the electrons in both silicon layers. When electrons reach the electric field, the field pushes them toward the top silicon layer and then forcefully directs them out of the solar cell to metal conductor strips to generate electricity.
Glass is used for 2 purposes in solar panels:
Borosilicate glass – glass that’s made using borates – is clearer and stronger compared to other types of glass, making it a preferred choice for solar panel manufacturers. Clarity is important because the clearer the glass, the more sunlight that hits the solar panel and directly passes through to the other side where solar cells generate energy.
Solar panels must also be strong enough to withstand harmful weather such as hail or snowstorms, as well as temperature swings. Because of its properties, borosilicate glass can tolerate sudden changes in temperature, leading to longer lasting panels. And unlike soda lime glass, borosilicate glass possesses few to no alkali elements. This reduces the risk of alkalis seeping out of the glass and negatively impacting the solar cells.
Banner image: Cavan Images via Getty Images
Borosilicate glass is also used in solar water heating systems. Borosilicate glass is the key component of a highly efficient type of solar collector called evacuated tube collectors (ETC).
An ETC system features two concentric borosilicate glass vacuum tubes, leaving a gap for air, creating a vacuum effect. This serves as both a great insulator to minimise heat loss and separates hot water from cold.
How we process personal data provided or obtained through this website.
With the exception of the use of cookies, Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of our Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the Rio Tinto Data Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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