Indium Corporation announced it has received a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) as one of five organisations selected under the Technology for Recovery and Advanced Critical-material Extraction – Gallium (TRACE-Ga) initiative. The programme targets rapid prototyping of novel gallium recovery technologies from U.S. metal processing feedstocks. The U.S. has had no domestic gallium production since 1987 and remains fully import-dependent for the material.
Gallium is a key enabler in compound semiconductors, LEDs, solar cells, and RF devices central to advanced electronics manufacturing. Work will be conducted at Indium Corporation's Rome, New York facility, which already hosts metal-processing infrastructure and analytical capabilities. The project will leverage electrochemical methods and advanced purification processes applied to gallium-bearing scraps generated during the company's existing production of gallium metals, alloys, and compounds including gallium trichloride and gallium oxide.
For the European electronics manufacturing supply chain, securing alternative gallium sources carries direct relevance given ongoing export restrictions from dominant producing nations. A validated domestic U.S. recovery process could influence global gallium availability and pricing for semiconductor and SMT-related materials.
Quelle: Indium Corporation – https://www.indium.com/press-releases/indium-corporation-awarded-3-2-million-doe-grant-to-establish-domestic-gallium-supply-chain/
