Indium Corporation and Rio Tinto today announced the successful extraction of gallium from feed sourced at Rio Tinto’s Vaudreuil alumina refinery in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. This achievement highlights the power of collaboration in building a more robust global supply chain for gallium. A strategic North American supply will accelerate the development of the project towards commercialization of gallium-based technologies.
Gallium, a critical mineral used in technologies such as semiconductors, integrated circuits, high-performance radar, smartphones, electric vehicles, and laptops, 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.
A Collaborative Process Driving Results
Indium Corporation designed and developed this gallium extraction process in the United States at its Rome, NY, research and development facility. This milestone reflects Indium Corporation’s metallurgical expertise in refining and transforming critical materials.
“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. “At Indium Corporation, we believe that materials science changes the world. Through this collaboration, we have demonstrated the viability of gallium extraction and laid the groundwork for commercial production to benefit industries worldwide.”
Jérôme Pécresse, Chief Executive, Rio Tinto Aluminium, added, “We are very proud to announce this significant milestone in our important research and development project to extract and valorize 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.”
Building a Sustainable Supply Chain and Path to Commercialization
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.
With gallium playing an increasingly important role in advanced and clean technologies, this collaboration between Indium Corporation and Rio Tinto will significantly enhance supply chain diversity and increase global availability. The project aligns with both organizations’ goals of fostering innovation and creating meaningful impact for industries around the world. This milestone also aligns with Indium Corporation’s long-standing mission of advancing materials science for the benefit of industries and economies worldwide.
About Rio Tinto Aluminium
Rio Tinto is a global leader in aluminum, one of the world’s most widely used metals. The company’s aluminum operations have a history running back more than 110 years. Today, Rio Tinto operates large-scale, high-quality bauxite mines and alumina refineries and some of the world’s most modern and competitive aluminum smelters. Rio Tinto’s industry leadership includes its benchmark smelting technology and renewable hydropower assets, enabling us to produce aluminum with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.
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