There are many boron-containing minerals in the world. According to the chemical composition of boron-containing minerals, they can be divided into three categories: borosilicate minerals, boroaluminosilicate minerals and borate minerals. Among them, the borosilicate minerals are mainly silicate-boron and citrine; the boroaluminosilicate minerals are mainly tourmaline and axe. Among the two types of boron minerals, in addition to the industrial value of sillimanite, other materials are difficult to process, or because they are not aggregated into industrial deposits. At present, the main raw material for the boron industry is the third category, borate minerals. There are more than 100 kinds of such minerals, but only 10 kinds of mineral boron resources are developed and utilized, such as natural borax, pandanite, boehmite, bauxite, natural boric acid, sodium borate, column boron and magnesium. Stone and so on. In China, boride, lanthanum, boromagnesium, borax, sodium borate, column borosilicate can form large and medium-sized deposits. The physical and chemical properties of several major borate minerals are described below.

The theoretical content of boehmite Mg2[B2O4(OH)](OH):B2O3 is 41.38%; it is fibrous, plate-like, columnar crystal; has silky luster; color is white, gray, light yellow; density is 2.62~ 2.75 g/cm3, Mohs hardness 3-4, insoluble in water.

The theoretical content of boron magnesium iron ore (Mg·Fe)3 Fe[BO3]O2:B2O3 is 17.83%; the morphology is acicular, columnar, fibrous, short columnar-granular aggregate, etc.; it has pearl and diamond luster; The color is black and black green; the density is 3.6 ~ 4.7 g / cm3; Mohs hardness is 5.5 ~ 6; insoluble in water.

The theoretical content of natural borax Na2B4O5(OH)4·8H2O:B2O3 is 36.51%; the morphology is crystal or dense block, soil-like aggregate; the color is white, light gray and light yellow; the density is 1.69~1.72 g/cm3; Mohs hardness of 2.0 to 2.5; soluble in water.

Mg2 (B2O5): The theoretical content of B2O3 is 46.34%; the morphology is plate-like, wedge-shaped, bamboo-like, needle-like, fibrous, and other crystal forms; it is shiny in glass grease; white or light brown; density is 2.91 ～2.93 g/cm3; Mohs hardness 5.9; insoluble in water.

NaCa(H2O)6[B3B2O7(OH)4]: The theoretical content of B2O3 is 42.95%; the crystal form has two kinds of fibrous and needle-like aggregates; it is glass, silky luster; colorless or white; density 1.65 ~1.95 g/cm3; Mohs hardness 2.5; poorly soluble in water.

Cobaltite Ca(H2O)[B2BO4(OH)3]: The theoretical content of B2O3 is 50.81%; the morphology is equal granular, radial, dense aggregate; glass, diamond luster; white or colorless; density 2.41~2.44 g/cm3; Mohs hardness of 4.5 to 5; insoluble in water.

Column boehmite Mg[B2O(OH)3]: B2O3 has a theoretical content of 42.46%; has three crystal forms of columnar, short columnar and fibrous; glass luster; color is white, off-white or colorless; density is 2.3 g/cm3; Mohs hardness 3.5.