Turkey has started producing the world's first boron fire extinguisher powder.

A manufacturer based in southern Turkey's İzmir holds the patent for the product. In a statement, the company said that the fire extinguisher is the first local, non-carcinogenic, solid cooling technology product. It would decrease Turkey's $3-billion fire extinguisher powder market's dependence on imports.

Boron, which has widespread use in different industries, can also be used to extinguish all types of fires, including very high temperatures and metal fires.

The company based at the İzmir Institute of Technology (İYTE) said that in addition to extinguishing a fire in a short time, the boron fire extinguisher powder also comes to the fore with its instant cooling feature. The human and environment-friendly powder has been produced from the purely natural mineral.

Company CEO Hale Demircan said they have produced two types of boron fire extinguisher powder - class ABC and class D. She added that the powder, which has been produced for the first time in the world, could be used in metal fires as well.

Demircan said Turkey imports fire extinguisher powder, particularly for high-temperature fires.

"This kind of powder is very expensive and affects health. We have been offering our local, national and non-carcinogenic boron fire extinguisher powder to the market for eight months now. It is mineral and cooler. Most importantly, it is not carcinogenic and bad for human health. With its quick extinguishing and instant cooling, we can actually say we have cooled and put out the fire instead of we have controlled the fire," she said.

Stressing that the powder in question is important in terms of the Turkish economy, she pointed out that 95 percent of the fire extinguisher powder used in Turkey is imported. She said that the product could save nearly $3 billion in the import of fire extinguisher powder.

"This is because we have doubled the performance of the powder and made it at a more affordable price. The fact that it is made up of boron brings a significant added value to boron. The powder will contribute to the national economy and could be exported to developed countries since it is not carcinogenic. We anticipate that the whole world will use it in the future. Because of our patent research, we have seen that Germany, Japan and the U.S. have failed in their efforts to produce fire extinguisher powder from boron."

The powder is considered to be "the first and only in the world and the first product in the solid cooling technology." Demircan hoped the powder will pave the way for other technologies, and said "Turkish engineers can also use it in different technologies. As a team, we are ready to respond to them." According to Demircan, research and development (R&D) studies on the product lasted almost eight years. She said that they received government assistance only during these studies, and added that they used their own resources in the production phase.

She said that the company is currently producing 3 tons of powder every day, underlining that if the capacity is increased they will be making a greater contribution to the national economy and meet Turkey's requirement. She added that with a capacity increase, its international demand will go up as well.

Turkey has invested heavily in research and development activities related to boron, which is abundant in the country. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez recently introduced Turkey's first ever boron-based detergent brand, containing no petroleum derivatives or perfume.