Gallium Acquisition from Landfilled Legacy Ash Novel Technology (GALLANT)

The United States imports 100?% of its gallium, a critical element for military applications. Yet, 3?billion tons of legacy coal ash lie in impoundments across the country. Coal ash on average contains 150?ppm Ga – three times as much as bauxite ore. Unfortunately, prior attempts to extract gallium from ash have been rendered uneconomic for two reasons: 1) Gallium is leeched from ash using sulfuric acid which is an expensive raw material to bring on-site, 2) the remaining coal ash is rendered unusable, and an even more significant environmental liability.PHNX Materials has developed a TRL?6, patented sulfur?loop hydrometallurgical technology that converts the sulfur mixed in ash into an in?situ lixiviant to selectively dissolve gallium and alumina while preserving ash quality. The closed loop eliminates trucked?in acids (70?% of conventional OPEX), returns zero solid waste to the landfill, and delivers three revenue streams: alumina, a SCM for concrete, and gallium. Initial PHNX tests show that coal ash sites contain up to 250ppm of Gallium, of which PHNX has extracted 15% at low concentrations (TRL 3). Phase?I Objective is to prove coal ash is a viable source of domestic gallium (6?months, TRL?3?5):Process optimization: Use a design-of-experiments matrix (pH, L:S ratio, temperature) to raise Ga recovery to ? 40 % while maintaining ash SO? < 2 %.Product demonstration: Produce 0.5 g of gallium concentrate (? 80 % Ga?O?) and characterize impurities to define a feed spec for 6 N refining.Integration & scale-up design: Deliver a validated flowsheet, mass/energy balance and pilot equipment layout that bolts onto PHNX’s existing 500 kg day-ą beneficiation line.Team & ResourcesPHNX’s core scientists Dr. Jorge Osio-Norgaard, Dr. Maryam Pirmoradi, and Dr. Monica Barney bring decades of combined industrial expertise in ash processing, hydrometallurgy, and process scale?up, with prior research roles at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Stanford University, and University of California Berkeley. PHNX has top?tier institutional venture investors and, for this SBIR, will be contracting gallium market experts Factory Unlocked and GaNWorks to inform commercialization pathway for the gallium extracted. Execution will occur in PHNX’s wet?chemistry labs and pilot ash?beneficiation line in San?Leandro, CA.ImpactSuccessful Phase?I will deliver the first domestic proof?of?concept for gallium recovery from coal ash that can be further refined to meet military needs. The solution strengthens supply?chain security, mitigates groundwater contamination and CO? emissions while creating high?skilled jobs in coal communities.Phase?II will scale PHNX gallium extraction on a 10-ton ash /day integrated pilot producing tens of kilograms of Ga?O?; Phase?III envisions replicated modules at multiple partner landfills, unlocking hundreds of tons per year of gallium and alumina by 2028—advancing DoD self?sufficiency under SBIR topic DLA254?003.