1 7 , ▁scient ists ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁Cur ios ity ▁ro ver ▁detected ▁bor on , ▁an ▁essential ▁ing red ient ▁for ▁life ▁on ▁Earth , ▁on ▁the ▁planet ▁Mars . ▁Such ▁a ▁finding , ▁along ▁with ▁previous ▁discover ies ▁that ▁water ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁present ▁on ▁ancient ▁Mars , ▁further ▁supports ▁the ▁possible ▁early ▁habit ability ▁of ▁G ale ▁Cr ater ▁on ▁Mars . ▁ ▁Production ▁Econom ically ▁important ▁sources ▁of ▁bor on ▁are ▁the ▁min er als ▁cole man ite , ▁ras or ite ▁( kern ite ), ▁u lex ite ▁and ▁tin cal . ▁T ogether ▁these ▁const itute ▁ 9 0 % ▁of ▁m ined ▁bor on - cont aining ▁ore . ▁The ▁largest ▁global ▁bor ax ▁depos its ▁known , ▁many ▁still ▁un t apped , ▁are ▁in ▁Central ▁and ▁Western ▁Turkey , ▁including ▁the ▁provinces ▁of ▁E ski ş eh ir , ▁K üt ah ya ▁and ▁Bal ı kes ir . ▁Global ▁proven ▁bor on ▁min eral ▁min ing ▁res erves ▁exceed ▁one ▁billion ▁metric ▁t onnes , ▁against ▁a ▁year ly ▁production ▁of ▁about ▁four ▁million ▁t onnes . ▁ ▁Turkey ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁are ▁the ▁largest ▁produ cers ▁of ▁bor on ▁products . ▁Turkey ▁produces ▁about ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁global ▁year ly ▁demand , ▁through ▁E ti ▁Mine ▁Works ▁() ▁a ▁Turkish ▁state - owned ▁min ing ▁and ▁chemical s ▁company ▁foc using ▁on ▁bor on ▁products . ▁It ▁holds ▁a ▁government ▁mon opol y ▁on ▁the ▁min ing ▁of ▁bor ate