THE USE OF BORON SUBSTANCES IN FUELS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01203A000200200002-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 11, 2000
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 5, 1955
• Content Type: OUTLINE

Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200200002-0
5 December 1955
USE OF BORON SUBSTANCES IN FUELS
S ant f a of Boron is High-Energy Fuels
The potentialities for high nergy yield render boron substances
extremely useful in the development of fuels for aircraft, missiles,
and other specialized weapons, The added energy provided by the use
of boron powder in slurry fuels is translated directly into greater
y: must and increased range. Boron propellants are used in rockets
and other s eciel weapons. Recent research has shown that at least
two boron compounds in low concentrations will provide satisfactory
p.:roperties and at the same time will maintain and even exceed, for
example, the performance of hydrazine in rockets.
II. Research and Development of
The US Defense Establishment is eng;3ged in a comprehensive program
to enlarge the acope of practical applic, itionsa for boron ebstances as
fuel, At the present time the Largest t3 consumption of boron raw
materials for fuel purposes is in making boron powder for slurry fuels
.In the near future, military requirement .43 for all boron raw materials
in scheduled aircraft and missile progr.s,13 are expected to exceed the
current US annual. production of $=000 teens, with a boric oxide *on-
tent of about 250,000 tons.
B. Other Free World IDeve] opsmea a .f Boron Fuels
The countries which are most liken;! to engage in boron research
are those capable of conducting lengthy and complex chemical investi-
gations. In the free world, not only ?1.;2e US but also the UK and West
Germany are known to possess such capssi't-? l {ties, British reports pub-
lished during the past decade indicate that the UK attributes the same
importance to continued boron research as does the V3. in the
post-war period, boron research in West Germany has been confined to .
non-military application ss 0 With the egad of the occupation, he ever,
their programs might be extended to include military uses of boron
substances. Very little information i.s available on boron research
in other free world countries.
State, DOC, OSD declassification & release instructions on file
A. US Development of Boron Fuels
Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200200002-0
 Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200200002-0
5- E-C -R-S-T
Co Soviet Developmente in the Field of Boron Fuels
The USSR is believed to be conducting boron fuel research programs.
Technical know-how regarding the manufacture and application of boron
substances in fuels may be as far advanced in the USSR as in the US
or in any other country. This conclusion is derived from an exwrdnaa
tion of recent technical literature published in the USSR. Such
published information does not demonstrate that the Soviets are using
boron fuels in actual aircraft or missile operations; on the other
hand there is equally no assurance that they are not doing so.
III. Sino-Soviet Bloc Boron Position
Ao Deposits and Production
The principal deposits of boron-containing minerals in the Sino-
Soviet Bloc are located in the USSR,, although there are known to be
some in Communist China.
Reserves of unmined boron area available in the USSR in 1938 are
shown in the attached table (See Annex). They show a total ore availa-
bility in geologically explored reserves of about 2?000,,000 metric tons,,
having a boric oxide (B203) content of approximately 150,,000 tons. If
inferred or geologically Investigated reserves are also included,, the
total becomes about 7a500,000 metric tons,, having a boric oxide content
of about 6305,000 tons.
About 229000 tons of minerals,, containing about 8a tons of
boric oxide,, are reported to have been mined in 1938. If,, since
that time, it is assumed that output In terms of boric oxide content
has varied approximately with Gross National Product,, the total
depletion of the 1938 reserves would have been about 170,000 metric
tons of boric oxide. This presumes a current annual output of perhaps
35,9000 to 40,,000 tons of minerals,, containing 10,000 to 15,,000 tons of
boric oxide.
The major deposit? of the USSR are in the vicinity of Inder Lake
at Inderborskiy (480311 N -i 5104?' E) and at many points along the
north shore of the Caspian Sea* Good highway and railway transporta-
tion is available from these deposits. Other deposits are located in
the. Nineralnovod-Cheskiy Rayon in the North Caucasus and the Azov-
Black Sea area. Although of lower grade., these deposits are being
worked, and are also favorably situated for transportation facili-
ties.
Demitri B. Sh3ankin, Minerals - A LeZ.to Soviet Power (Cambridge,,
Mass.,, 1953), Po 253 0
2
S-S-C-R-L-T
Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200200002-0
 Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200200002-0
Usable Chinese reserves of boron resources are believed to be
small. Very high-grade deposits in Tibet are relatively inaccessible
for present large-scale exploitation. Several recent reports indicate
some recovery of borax from long-established salt brine wells and the
beginning of construction on a borax plant at Tau-Kung, Szechwan Province.
Transportation facilities linking these latter areas with other parts of
China appear to be adequate.
B. Imports from the Free World
The interest of the Sino=-Soviet Bloc in borax boric acid and
related products seems to be increasing. Preliminary estimates indi-
cate that Bloc imports of these materials from the free world totalled
at least 158000 metric tons in 1954,, virtually all to the European
Satellites and Communist China, imports appear to have been greater
in 1954 than in any other recent year. Recently there have been
possible diversions of US-origin borax. Also, Turkey is exporting
significant portions of its boracite production to the Satellite.
Thus total movement of boron materials from free-world countries to
the Bloc during the first nine months of 1955 surpassed the total for the
whole of 1954.
C. Adequacy of Supplies
Information available an Soviet use of boren materials in either
civilian or milita'7 programs makes any precise estimate or the aaequacy
of supplies difficult. There is reason to believe that in 1954 East
German borax imports were 1,000 tons less than was required and
planned. At the and of November 1954, borax was released from East
German "State Reserves" to meet urgent industrial needs. As of 11.
January 1955.0 only 30 tons of this had been returned to the Reserves.
Subsequent reports indicate that borax continues to be a chief bottle-
neck in supplies for the East German chemical and glass-making industries.
-3-
S-E-C-R?E?T
Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP79-01203A000200200002-0
 Approved For Release 2000/Q8/29 SQIQr?01203A00020020 D0 -0
ANNEX I
USSR RESERVES OF UNMINED BORON ORE
(1938 estimate)
NATURE OF RESERVES ORE TONNAGE
F,n!lored Ores
Thoroughly Explored al
Good grade (25-35% B203 264
Low grade (3?9% B203) 19417
Total
18681
Geologically Explored b/
Good grade (2535% B203)
3142
Low grade (3?9% 8203)
112
Total
1454
Total Explored Ores
29135
Geolog3.ca11y Investigated Ores
2/
Good grade (25@35% 8203)
138
Low grade (3-9% 8203)
5x245
Total
5383
Total Explored and Investigated Ores 7,v5l8
Soul et Geo3? aches a Izuchennost i Minera1.no-SyreVaa Baza SSSR k XVIITL d
tithe U-,99 for t He XVIII Congress of the VKP (v s Moscow-
Leningrad 19390
Reserves explored ready for mininge
b/ Reserves geologically explored and defined by tests with preliminary
exallinations ecmputed,,
/ Reserves established on the basis of naturally or artifical]y induced
appearance of the material on the surface
-4-
Approved For Release 2000/08/29 :CIA-FpPE7`2 2&
*000200200002-0