Quiborax

What Quiborax does

Quiborax's product portfolio comprises three core catalog items: Boric Acid Granular 99.9%, Boric Acid Powder 99.9% (both CAS 10043-35-3), and Granulex 10% B, a granulated ulexite fertilizer (CAS 1319-33-1). Products are differentiated by purity, particle size distribution, and packaging (25 kg polypropylene bags or BigBags of 1.0-1.2 MT), with full containerized shipments of 20-27 MT per 20' FCL. The company operates under ISO 14001:2015 environmental certification (valid through November 2027) and maintains a production-chain traceability system with six-month representative sample retention. Quiborax monetizes through one-time B2B sales to industrial buyers, distributed via direct enterprise sales ([email protected]) to six end-use segments: agriculture and fertilizers (primary), glass and fiberglass, ceramics and enamels, flame retardants, metallurgy, and industrial chemistry. Distribution leverages four Pacific ports (Arica, Antofagasta, Angamos, and Mejillones) to reach 52+ markets across five continents, with mineral transport from the inland plant to coastal ports provided by Altiplano community trucking partners. The company employs 500+ collaborators across mining, plant, warehouse, and corporate operations, with headquarters at Alonso de Córdova 2700 Suite 31 in Santiago.

Name

Quiborax

Legal name

Quiborax S.A.

Website

https://quiborax.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quiborax S.A. is a privately held Chilean producer of boric acid and borated fertilizers from high-altitude ulexite mines, ranking as the third-largest global boric acid producer. The company supplies industrial customers across agriculture, glass, ceramics, flame retardants, metallurgy, and chemical synthesis segments in 52+ markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Chemicals

NAICS

Other Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (21239), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992)

SIC

Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Borates Mining (IMAKAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial Minerals Trading (Phosphate, Potash, Sulfur, Borates, Barite, Talc) (IMAKAJAF)

Keywords

• Boric acid production
• Borate mining
• Ulexite extraction
• Borated fertilizers
• Industrial chemicals manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Boric Acid Sales: Production and export of boric acid (granular and powder forms at 99.9% purity) to industrial customers in 52+ global markets. Revenue generated through one-time product transactions, typically in containerized shipments of 20-27 MT per 20' FCL.
2. Agrochemical Products: Production and sale of Granulex 10% B (granulated ulexite) and other borated fertilizers for agriculture. Sold directly to fertilizer manufacturers and agricultural distributors.
3. Industrial Mineral Products: Supply of ulexite and boric acid to various industries including glass, fiberglass, ceramics, flame retardants, metallurgy, and industrial chemistry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Quiborax extracts ulexite (a borate mineral) from high-altitude salt flats in northern Chile (Surire and Ascotan) and processes it at the El Águila chemical plant into boric acid (granular and powder forms at 99.9% purity) and granulated ulexite fertilizer (Granulex 10% B). The company sells these products in industrial containerized shipments (20–27 MT per 20' FCL) to global industrial customers in sectors including agriculture, glass, ceramics, flame retardants, metallurgy, and industrial chemistry.

Product overview

Quiborax is a mining company that produces and exports boric acid and agrochemical products. The product portfolio consists of three core products: Boric Acid Granular 99.9% and Boric Acid Powder 99.9% (both with CAS 10043-35-3), and Granulex 10% B (Granulated Ulexite, CAS 1319-33-1). The products are differentiated by form (granular vs powder), purity levels, particle size distributions, and packaging options (25 kg bags or BigBags ranging from 1.0 to 1.2 MT). Products serve multiple industries including agriculture/fertilizers, glass/fiberglass, ceramics/enamels, flame retardants, metallurgy, and industrial chemistry. The company operates the El Águila chemical plant with 110,000 metric tons per year production capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Granulex: Granulated Ulexite (10% B) product used as a boron source for preventive and maintenance fertilization programs, applied directly to soil.

Quantifiable outcome

• 110,000 metric tons/year boric acid production capacity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EngiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Strategic alliance for renewable energy generation. Joint investment of US$7 million in El Águila photovoltaic park. 22% of chemical plant's energy supply comes from solar power generated at the facility with 8,000+ photovoltaic panels. Equivalent to reducing 4,000 tons CO2 emissions per year.
• CONAF (Corporación Nacional Forestal / National Forestry Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for ecological monitoring program at Surire salt flat since 1999. One of Chile's oldest high-altitude ecological monitoring programs. Quiborax also participates in High Andean Flamingo Conservation Plan (Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina), Simultaneous Flamingo Census, Lauca Biosphere Reserve Commission, and advisory councils for Monument Salar de Surire National Reserve and Las Vicuñas National Reserve.
• CEA (Centro de Ecología Aplicada / Center for Applied Ecology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuarterly surveys of endemic plant and invertebrate species at Surire salt flat to monitor ecosystem status and ensure conservation.
• SEREMI de la Mujer y Equidad (Regional Ministerial Secretary for Women and Equity of Arica and Parinacota)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement to support integration of women into mining operations, contributing to gender inclusion in productive activities.
• Chilean Highlands Families (Altiplano Communities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain mineral transportation providers. Communities provide logistical support to transport products from plant to ports of Arica, Antofagasta, Angamos and Mejillones. Fleet of licensed trucks with necessary permits. Strategic allies supporting local employment.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allkem (formerly Orocobre): Argentine lithium and borates producer (formerly Orocobre) operating borate mining alongside its lithium brine operations. Comparable as a regional South American producer of industrial borates competing in overlapping global boron markets.
• Searles Valley Minerals: US-based producer of borax, boric acid, and specialty boron compounds from brines in California. Comparable as a vertically integrated specialty borate producer serving similar industrial end-markets as Quiborax.
• Rio Tinto (Borates / US Borax): Operates the Boron mine in California (formerly US Borax), the largest or second-largest global boric acid producer. Direct head-to-head competitor of Quiborax in industrial boric acid supply to glass, ceramics, agriculture, and flame retardant markets.
• Eti Maden İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlüğü: Turkish state-owned miner that is the world's largest boron/boric acid producer (often cited as #1 or #2 globally) and operates integrated mining-to-refining operations analogous to Quiborax's mine-to-port model. Direct competitor in supplying global boric acid markets.

Others

• Yara International: Global Norwegian crop nutrition company that formulates specialty fertilizers using boron and other micronutrients. Connected as a major downstream buyer category for Quiborax's Granulex/boric acid fertilizer products, rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• ICL Group: Israel-based specialty fertilizers and chemicals company with a meaningful boron product line (e.g., borated specialty fertilizers, industrial boron compounds). Comparable as a larger incumbent in the downstream boron application markets that Quiborax serves.
• Compass Minerals International: US-based miner of salt, sulfate of potash, and specialty plant nutrition products including magnesium chloride de-icing and plant nutrients. Comparable as a broader industrial minerals and specialty fertilizer incumbent with similar B2B distribution economics.
• Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM): Chilean specialty chemicals and mining company (lithium, iodine, specialty plant nutrition, industrial chemicals). Comparable as a Chilean-based nonmetallic minerals miner with vertical integration and Pacific port access, addressing overlapping industrial and agricultural customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quiborax

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quiborax