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New Lab Reinforces Commitment to Customer Assurance

:: Wednesday, November 1, 2023 :: Posted By Bassine Simon
Across all U.S. Borax sites, we’re finding better ways to provide the refined borates that customers need, including improvements to critical infrastructure.

At our Coudekerque site—known for producing specialty refined borates—we’re excited to announce a new quality lab officially opened this year. The lab enhances our ability to deliver products with the consistency and high-quality customers expect from Borax Français.

What does the new lab mean for you?

Many manufacturers have plans to make processes more energy efficient while maintaining high standards for finished products.

What’s the secret to achieving these goals? You must ensure inputs such as refined borates meet or exceed rigid quality assurance standards and exact specifications.

The new lab strengthens our already rigorous quality management system, so you receive borate products that adhere to the highest standards of purity and traceability.

We continue to perform independent testing activities—raw material analysis, stringent quality assurance tests, and environmental analysis. These processes are supported by advanced equipment such as two atomic absorption spectroscopies and a Malvern for laser granulometry spectrum analysis.

Overall, the lab is designed to reinforce the robust safety protocols and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) at Coudekerque.

Battery research and development  

Moving to the new lab offers advantages for lab technicians who analyze and research very fine borate powder products. That’s good news if your organization is in the lithium-ion battery industry. 

Earlier this year, we introduced a highly pure, powder-grade orthoboric acid (H3BO3) called Optibor® BQ. Coudekerque Operations developed this battery-quality product to meet the precise needs of modern battery applications  that require very fine particle size distribution and purity. 

Optibor BQ is a versatile additive used in electrolyte solutions, electrodes, anodes, and cathodes. 

By updating our lab environment, the analysis of Optibor BQ and related powder products is now  more efficient. Plus, the lab’s proximity to European electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers makes it easier to partner with customers that are seeking boron for EV batteries.

Improving onsite work equity

The new building also has updates intended to improve employees’ work environment, including more individual workspace. 

New women’s locker room
One key update is the inclusion of a women’s locker room, which is available to all women onsite. The large locker room provides a much-needed dedicated, safe, and convenient space.  

Central location
Previously, employees had to carry samples across the site to the lab, an inefficient and time-consuming system. Placing the new lab next to the production supervision room saves team leaders considerable effort, allowing them to better manage the lines.

Borax Français: A leader in specialty, refined borates

For processes that are extremely sensitive to variation, only the highest quality borates from an experienced partner will suffice.

At Borax Français, we continue to invest in infrastructure that improves outcomes for customers like you. Our new lab is another milestone in the extensive record of producing refined borates of the highest quality at Coudekerque.

If you’re looking for a specialty grade product, please contact our technical team. We can work with you to meet special requirements, provide samples, and answer any technical questions.



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U.S. Borax, part of Rio Tinto, is a global leader in the supply and science of borates—naturally-occurring minerals containing boron and other elements. We are 1,000 people serving 650 customers with more than 1,800 delivery locations globally. We supply around 30% of the world’s need for refined borates from our world-class mine in Boron, California, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.  Learn more about Rio Tinto.

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