Salta’s borate industry marks more than 150 years of continuous development, positioning the province as one of Argentina’s most enduring and specialized non-metallic mining districts. Despite the global focus on lithium, borates continue to represent a strategic segment with strong export performance and high value-added production.
By Panorama Minero
Geologist Ricardo Alonso, who completed his doctoral research on borate deposits, highlighted the historical and geological foundations of the industry, which dates back to the 1870s when samples of ulexite from the Puna region were first exported to Europe.
Geological Foundations and Long-Term Production
Argentina’s borate production is concentrated in the Puna region of Salta, Jujuy and Catamarca. Salta hosts the country’s largest open-pit borate mine, Tincalayu, located in the Hombre Muerto salt flat and in operation since the 1950s.
The province also contains significant reserves of “hard” borates such as hydroboracite and colemanite in the Sijes range. These fossil borate deposits are comparable to those found in Turkey and the United States, two of the world’s leading borate producers.
“Sol de la Mañana” mine. Salta hosts Argentina’s largest borate deposits, including both salt flat and hard-rock resources.
Globally, borate resources are geographically limited, with major production concentrated in Turkey, the United States and the Central Andes region of South America.
From Raw Exports to Advanced Processing
Over time, the industry evolved from exporting minimally processed ore to producing high value-added derivatives.
Today, Salta manufactures multiple grades of boric acid, from technical quality to high-purity powders used in pharmaceutical, chemical and even nuclear applications. Borax is produced in decahydrate, pentahydrate and anhydrous forms, alongside pentaborates, octoborates and boron compounds for agricultural use.
Colemanite and hydroboracite are processed through concentration techniques to remove impurities and supply specialized raw materials for ceramics, specialty glass and fiberglass production.
Salta currently exports borate products to more than 40 countries. Brazil stands out as a major destination, particularly for ceramics, glass manufacturing and agricultural inputs.
Borates in the Context of Lithium Expansion
While lithium has reshaped exploration dynamics across Argentina’s salt flats, borates continue to be extracted and processed. Both minerals fall under the same legal category within Argentina’s Mining Code, and historical borate operations remain active.
From an academic perspective, borate mining has played a central role in geological research and professional training in northern Argentina. The National University of Salta incorporates specialized courses on borate geology and processing, supported by decades of scientific research.
Regulatory Framework and Long-Term Outlook
According to Alonso, Argentina’s current Mining Code provides an adequate legal framework, with regulatory stability and predictability remaining critical for sustaining investment.
Borates are essential minerals with more than 1,500 industrial applications, spanning chemicals, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, glass, agriculture, detergents and other sectors.
Given the limited global distribution of borate resources and Salta’s established production capacity, the industry is expected to remain consolidated and technologically specialized in the coming decade.
