Indium Corp and Rio Tinto reveal gallium sourcing project
Indium Corporation and Rio Tinto have announced the successful extraction of gallium from feed sourced at Rio Tinto’s Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada.
They this this achievement highlights the power of collaboration in building a more robust global supply chain for gallium.
Gallium is currently produced in limited quantities worldwide. This partnership is working to create a reliable and sustainable supply of this essential material to meet growing global demand for advanced technologies.
Indium Corporation designed and developed this gallium extraction process in the United States at its Rome, NY, research and development facility.
“This milestone is a major step forward in our joint efforts to create a new and robust supply of gallium,” said Ross Berntson, president and CEO of Indium Corporation. “Through this collaboration, we have demonstrated the viability of gallium extraction and laid the groundwork for commercial production to benefit industries worldwide.”
Jérôme Pécresse, CEO, Rio Tinto Aluminium, added, “We are very proud to announce this significant milestone in our important research and development project to extract and valorise gallium from our aluminum operations in Quebec. 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.”
Indium Corporation will continue to develop the extraction process at its research and development facility to meet the planned commercial scalability needs for a 3.5-ton demonstration plant that would be located in Saguenay, Quebec, and then eventually commercial-scale capacity of 40 tons annually, addressing an estimated five to 10 percent of global gallium supply.
