U.S. Borax is proud to be part of the communities in which we operate. And, we’re proud of the work we do to further borate education.
Mary Beth Garrison
Manager, External Relations and Community Management
U.S. Borax Visitor Center and Foundation
U.S. Borax in the community
Iconic 20 Mule Team wagons restored
On March 31, U.S. Borax unveiled the newly restored 20 Mule Team wagon which now sits on site at the Borax Visitor Center.
Supporting our California communities
For 100 years, U.S. Borax has been an important part of the Boron and East Kern County communities.
Supporting local restaurant and employees
We partnered with the 20 Mule Team Cafe, a restaurant in Boron, to bring meals to our employees on site.
Grant and scholarship applications
The Borax Visitor Center Foundation funds two annual programs for our Boron, California, community: A grant for nonprofit, tax-exempt, and governmental organizations as well as a scholarship for graduating seniors.
The 2026 application period for grant is now closed.
Doing business in our community
Supporting local and diverse businesses is another way we are part of the communities in which we operate. By working with large and small suppliers in our region, we are able to help foster local business opportunities.
U.S. Borax and Rio Tinto are always interested in building new supplier partnerships. Explore opportunities through our Buy Local supplier portal
Community FAQ
U.S. Borax company and history
In 1872, borate deposits were discovered in California’s Death Valley. Several companies sprung up in the region to mine borates. By 1890, they were mostly consolidated into the Pacific Coast Borax Company. In 1956, the Pacific Borax Company merged with the United States Potash Corporation to form U.S. Borax.
Learn more about the history of U.S. Borax.
Yes, we have several ISO certifications.
ISO 9001:2015
Boron (mining, processing, production, testing, sales and shipping of borates)
Chicago (customer service and order processing)
Coudekerque (refining, production, and internal transfer of borates)
Wilmington (processing, testing, and shipping of borates)
ISO 14001:2015
Boron (mining, production, testing, and shipping of borates)
Coudekerque (refining, production, and internal transfer of borates)
Wilmington (processing, testing, and shipping of borates)
Lone Pine (mining and shipping of carbonates)
View all of our certificates:
We operate California’s largest open pit mine in Boron, California.
The mine in Boron, California is closed to the general public. But, the Borax Visitor Center is open (and free to visit), Tuesdays through Saturdays, excluding major U.S. holidays. Learn more about the Borax Visitor Center and plan your visit.
U.S. Borax produces and sells bulk borates; we do not sell any consumer borate products. The Dial Corporation acquired U.S. Borax’s consumer products division in 1988. Subsequently, Henkel acquired Dial in 2003.
To buy their consumer products in bulk, visit the Dial Professional website .
To buy our borate products in bulk, please contact your local sales representative for more information about purchasing our industrial and agriculture products through us or one of our distributors.
U.S. Borax has a number of positions if you are looking for a career that makes a difference. Learn more about joining the U.S. Borax team.
We are always looking to build new relationships with local and regional businesses. Local, tribal, and diverse suppliers are an important part of building strong economies and communities. We encourage these organizations to register in our supplier portal .
By registering, you will be able to:
Provide your company’s profile and capabilities to our procurement specialists
See and express interest in opportunities for all Rio Tinto North American assets—not just U.S. Borax
Receive notifications of current and future opportunities that match your registration criteria
Current and former employees may contact our HR help line at: +1 888 448 3375. This number can be used for HR, payroll, and benefits questions.
Are you an external party that needs to verify someone is employed by U.S. Borax? Please call +1 801 363 4357.
Current employees may request a reference letter in Workday, a link to which is found on Element.
All our operations comply with all applicable safety regulations and make safety training a priority. Learn more about our commitment to keep our workplaces safe.
Boron chemistry and research
Boron is a nonmetallic chemical element symbolized as B on the periodic table. It has the atomic number 5. It only occurs naturally in compounds called borate minerals—deposits of which are found in the Earth's crust. Boron is primarily used in chemical compounds including boric acid, borax, and boric oxide.
Boron is a solid and is classified as a metalloid element (has properties of both metals and non-metals). Elemental boron is never found free in nature. It occurs naturally in minerals that contain boron and oxygen.
Boric acid is found abundantly in nature, especially in volcanic areas, such as Italian hot springs. Boric acid’s chemical formula is H3BO3. It is a weak monobasic acid. It dissolves in boiling water and forms metaboric acid when heated to temperatures higher than 170°C. U.S. Borax sells boric acid under the brand name Optibor®.
Borax is also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, and disodium tetraborate.
Learn more about our sample request program for industrial product formulation and development. To request a U.S. Borax product sample, please fill out our sample request form. (A member of our sample fulfillment team may contact you for further clarification.)
Yes, we have a wealth of information on the agriculture uses of boron at: https://agriculture.borax.com. Please contact our global agriculture team members with your questions.
General consumer questions
U.S. Borax produces and sells bulk borates; we do not sell any consumer borate products. The Dial Corporation acquired U.S. Borax’s consumer products division in 1988, and they were subsequently acquired by Henkel . Under this agreement, we license the use of our trademark. They produce and distribute the 20 Mule Team® Borax product sold in stores and can answer your questions:
Or call Dial Henkel customer service at +1 800 457 8739.
Is 20 Mule Team Laundry Booster safe for any of the following?
My dishwasher
My high-efficiency washing machine
My refrigerator
On my dog or cat
In my garden
To kill bugs
To prevent mold on my bathroom walls
U.S. Borax produces and sells bulk borates; we do not sell any consumer borate products you can buy in stores. The Dial Corporation acquired U.S. Borax’s consumer products division in 1988, and they were subsequently acquired by Henkel . Under this agreement, we license the use of our trademark. They produce and distribute the 20 Mule Team® Borax product sold in stores and can answer your questions:
Or call Dial Henkel customer service at +1 800 457 8739.
U.S. Borax produces and sells bulk borates; we do not sell any consumer borate products. The Dial Corporation acquired U.S. Borax’s consumer products division in 1988, and they were subsequently acquired by Henkel. Under this agreement, we license the use of our trademark. They produce and distribute the 20 Mule Team® Borax products sold in stores and can answer your questions about home use. Visit their web site or call their customer service number at +1 800 457 8739.
For information about bulk product safety, read our Product Stewardship information. Or, email us at rtbproduct.stewardship@riotinto.com with your specific application and information needs.
U.S. Borax’s products are not intended for use in food applications and are labeled accordingly. Therefore, our borate products shall not be used as (or to manufacture) food additives or preservatives. Read our Statement on FDA Status of Borates.
U.S. Borax does not sell any product into the borate/borax flea control or carpet application businesses. In keeping with our product stewardship commitment to our customers, we recommend against the use of borate products for carpet applications. These applications include boric acid, borax, or other borate-containing products intended for use on carpets as deodorizers or flea control agents.
These carpet-use patterns are different from all other borate product uses in that they present the opportunity for small children or pets to ingest borates directly from the carpets. It is not feasible to assess the extent of exposure to children and pets under all possible scenarios, due to the variety of parameters that determine exposure from carpets (eg variation in carpet type, borate product type, application method and rate, vacuum efficiency and frequency, and individual behavioral patterns of children or pets). Without adequate exposure information, U.S. Borax cannot determine the level of risk that may result from carpet-use patterns; therefore, we do not support the use of borate products for carpet flea control applications by anyone, especially consumers.
It should also be recognized that any compound used for the purpose of mitigating “pests” is considered to be a “pesticide” which is regulated by state and federal authorities (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Learn more:
Read more at borate function by application. Or, visit our related applications pages:
If this still doesn't answer your question, send an email with details about your needs and interests to: rtbproduct.stewardship@riotinto.com.
For information about bulk product safety, read our Product Stewardship section. Or, email us at rtbproduct.stewardship@riotinto.com with your specific application and information needs.
If you are an external party that needs to verify someone's employment with U.S. Borax, please call: +1.801.363.4357
If you are an employee that needs to verify your own employment, you can find a link on myRioTinto. (You will need to be logged into the network to access this site.)
If you live in one of the communities in which we operate and have comments, complaints, or suggestions, please complete our Community Feedback form.
These model kits originated as a promotional program for 20 Mule Team Borax in 1954. Unfortunately, they have been discontinued.
While we’re proud of our heritage, we do not maintain records of the value of U.S. Borax posters, model kits, advertising, photography or other memorabilia. You may be able to find some items for purchase at the unaffiliated 20 Mule Team Museum in Boron, California.
Learn more about U.S. Borax history.
Borate uses and safety
Not all fiberglass contains boron, but most of it does. Boron is added to fiberglass to increase its strength. Learn more about borates in insulation production.
Borates in laundry detergent help:
Improve cleaning action
Prevent dirt from redepositing on clothes
Control pH
Safely and effectively bleach stains
For more information about borates use in industrial cleaners, read Boron in Cleaners and Detergents. For questions about the consumer product 20 Mule Team® Laundry Booster, please visit: www.20muleteamlaundry.com or call 1.800.457.8739.
Scientists conduct studies to determine both the level at which boron is harmful and the level at which boron is beneficial to health. Laboratory animals that ingested high doses of borates over long periods have shown adverse developmental and reproductive effects. In studies where boron is completely removed from the diet and environment, similar adverse effects occur.
In other words, too little boron is as bad as too much.
No evidence of adverse reproductive effects attributable to boron have been observed in epidemiological studies of borate workers and populations with high exposures to boron. Learn more about the safe handling of borates.
An extremely high intake of borates would make most people vomit. But it is nearly impossible to be exposed to such quantities through eating foods or using products that contain borates. We’ve been mining and refining borates for more than 140 years. Evaluation of our workers—who are exposed to higher levels of borates than most people—have shown no adverse developmental or reproductive effects. In most instances where people have experienced artificially high borate intake, vomiting or excretion in urine has been rapid, and blood and tissue concentrations were quickly back to normal.