Low-Cost, Portable, Domestic Gallium Production via Molten Salt Electrodeposition

The concentration of gallium metal production China – responsible for over 98% of global supply along with the action to restrict gallium exports in December 2024 has created a significant risk to the US defense industrial base and economic competitiveness. As demand for gallium surges with advancements in AI, 5G, and military modernization, there remains no current commercial domestic supply of gallium to support this demand. Xerion Advance Battery has deep expertise (15 years) in developing novel low-temperature molten salt electrolysis in the manufacture and scale-up of Li-ion battery materials. This technology is currently being scaled to produce other critical minerals such as cobalt, and has been demonstrated at the lab scale for Gallium metal. With this expertise, Xerion proposes to further apply this technology to refine gallium from several existing domestic low-concentration materials and develop the process to commercial scale with the required quality and support the requirements for microelectronic devices based on alloys such as gallium arsenide, gallium nitride or gallium oxide. Compared with other gallium extraction processes, Xerion’s DirectPlate™ technology is a single one-step electrochemical conversion process which is compact, environmentally friendly and much less capital intensive. As a non-aqueous process, we have been able to demonstrate high levels of specific metal selectivity, ionic conductivity, energy usage, yields, and product quality. The process is being developed and piloted to be scaled with a favorable permitting profile and modular manufacturing techniques for rapid construction and investment. All of these factors combine create distinctive advantages relative to multi-step alternative technologies involving solvent exchange, ion exchange resins, and other less efficient electrochemical refining involving water. Specifically, this proposal will develop the information required to support the feasibility of the DirectPlate™ process key variables to refine gallium from existing domestic gallium-containing feedstocks. The data gathered Phase 1 will directly support the premises of Phase 2 and the further successful development of the process to achieve a TRL 6.