The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - May 7, 2025
Gallium is a critical mineral used in semiconductors, integrated circuits, high-performance radar, smartphones, electric vehicles, laptops, and other high-tech applications.
Rio Tinto is investing in a plant to recover gallium as a byproduct at its alumina refinery in Quebec, which accounts for nearly half of the company's global aluminum production.
Marking a pivotal step in the effort to reduce North American dependence on China for metals critical to high-tech manufacturing, New York-based Indium Corp. has recovered gallium from byproduct material sourced at Rio Tinto's Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Quebec.
"This milestone is a major step forward in our joint efforts to create a new and robust supply of gallium," said Indium Corp. President and CEO Ross Berntson.
The urgency to diversify the gallium supply chain was elevated to stratospheric levels following China's December announcement that it is banning all direct and indirect exports of gallium to the United States.
Considering that China controls nearly 99% of global gallium supply, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, American manufacturers have few alternatives for this critical metal used in semiconductors, integrated circuits, high-performance radar, smartphones, electric vehicles, laptops, and other high-tech applications.
The U.S. could suffer up to $3 billion in economic losses due to the lack of gallium needed by America's tech sector, according to the USGS.
"Losing access to critical minerals that make up a fraction of the value of products like semiconductors and LEDs can add up to billions of dollars in losses across the economy," Nedal Nassar, a mineral supply chain analyst at USGS, explained.
Shortly after China announced that it was cutting off supplies of gallium to the U.S., Rio Tinto unveiled plans to investigate the potential of recovering this high-tech metal from its aluminum operations in Quebec.
"This new research and development project is destined to help strengthen the North American supply chain for critical and strategic minerals," Rio Tinto Aluminium Chief Executive Jérôme Pécresse said in December.
Rio Tinto is investing in a plant to recover gallium as a byproduct at its alumina refinery in Quebec, which accounts for nearly half of the company's global aluminum production.
While gallium is commonly found in the aluminum ore bauxite, the process to recover it can be challenging and not worth the investment – especially when competing with China for a metal with a relatively small market.
Rising tech-sector demand and China's export ban are shifting the economics of recovering gallium as an aluminum byproduct.
To overcome the challenges of recovering gallium, Rio Tinto turned to Indium Corp.'s expertise in critical materials refining.
"At Indium Corporation, we believe that materials science changes the world," said Berntson. "Through this collaboration, we have demonstrated the viability of gallium extraction and laid the groundwork for commercial production to benefit industries worldwide."
Now, the New York-based critical minerals firm is working on fully developing an extraction process for commercial deployment at Rio Tinto's Quebec refinery.
The global mining and refining company plans to begin by installing a demonstration plant at its Vaudreuil alumina refinery that is capable of producing 3.5 tons of gallium per year.
The longer-term vision is to scale this pilot plant up to a full-scale operation capable of producing 40 tons of gallium per year, which would account for roughly 10% of the world's current supply and make Canada the largest producer of the tech metal outside of China.
"Together, through this innovative partnership, Rio Tinto and Indium Corporation strive to strengthen the North American supply chain for gallium, a critical and strategic mineral," said Pécresse.
With more than 17 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration, and technology metals.
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