TELF AG examines an Australian initiative dedicated to the valorization of sourcing waste materials 

The role of gallium and germanium in the era of digitalization 

At a time when digitalization and the role of technology appear well-established, the centrality of the geological resources that contribute to their diffusion is increasing more and more, mainly due to the need by large global players and producers to be able to count on safe, stable, and resilient supply chains. One of the most interesting initiatives, from this point of view, is one that some Australian researchers from the Critical Research and Development Hub are undertaking, an organization established in 2022 that aims to strengthen Australia’s role in global supply chains through constant collaboration with the industry. The new project of this young hub has to do with the careful analysis of sourcing waste to obtain central materials to produce semiconductors and other important technologies.  

The initiative focuses on two very important resources in the technological field: gallium and germanium. As can also be read in a recent analysis by Nikkei Asia, the researchers are trying to study the possibility of obtaining these materials as by-products of other sourcing activities. In addition to gallium and germanium, the Australian research initiative also focuses on other important resources such as indium and bismuth, focusing also on high-purity silica and alumina and on the improvement of rare earth sourcing procedures. 

Gallium plays a central role in modern high-performance chips. According to the study, specific quantities of this important material would be recoverable from alumina refining, i.e., an important intermediate step for producing aluminum from bauxite. At the moment, much of the gallium generated in this way would be lost. Much of this resource, in fact, is produced as a by-product of the processing of bauxite, and partly also from some residues of zinc processing. According to the US Geological Survey, 90% of the global gallium market is currently attributable to China. 

Germanium plays an equally important role, especially in improving the performance of silicon (an important material for the production of semiconductors) and in the sectors related to solar cells and optical fiber. Again, some particular industrial processes, such as those related to zinc refining, generate a certain amount of germanium that is not used. According to some estimates cited by Nikkei Asia, 60% of the global germanium market is linked to China. 

Australia’s potential 

The role of Australia as a potential supplier of these resources, according to the analysis, has to do with its past as a major exporter of bauxite, which, as we have seen, represents one of the possible sources from which to recover these important materials. In addition to being the world’s third largest exporter of zinc, Australia can count on six alumina refineries in its territory. The analysis also reports the opinion of some experts, who believe that a good part of gallium and germanium at a global level could be obtained from Australian alumina refineries, always keeping in mind the possible risks linked to the destabilization of the market. The global demand for gallium, at the moment, would be 700 tons per year, while that of germanium would amount to 140 tons. 

Similar attempts are underway in other parts of the world, especially in the United States, where within some large copper mines, it is possible to obtain an important secondary flow of tellurium, a rather rare resource also used in solar cells. Based on this success, the possibility of valorizing the waste materials linked to copper refining to also obtain gallium and germanium is being studied in the United States.