Recovering Critical Metals from Mining Waste and Semiconductor Process Streams
On October 28, the MIRU Global Team visited the research and development laboratory of Gega Elements in Sydney, Australia. The company is developing technologies to recover and refine gallium (Ga) and germanium (Ge) from secondary resources.
The visit also included representatives of a trading company involved in the import and export of germanium. CEO Mo Assefi personally guided the group through the laboratory, explaining the company’s technologies, research progress, and future business plans. Discussions following the tour explored potential collaboration with Japanese companies in feedstock sourcing, product supply, and technical development.
Gega Elements is developing processes to recover gallium and germanium from a range of secondary materials, including mining waste, mineral processing tailings, metallurgical by-products, and wastewater generated during semiconductor manufacturing.
Both metals are often obtained as by-products rather than mined from dedicated deposits. Gallium, for example, is commonly recovered during the processing of bauxite, while germanium can be recovered from zinc and lead ores and associated processing streams. Because their concentrations in these materials can be low, efficient separation and concentration technologies are essential for economically viable recovery.
The company is developing recovery and refining processes for a range of feedstocks sourced from different resources. Its target materials include not only solid mining waste but also gallium-bearing wastewater generated during manufacturing operations, such as equipment-cleaning processes.
Laboratory Progress in Gallium Recovery and Purification
Dr. Assefi introduced the company’s process, which extracts target metals from the feedstock and progressively concentrates and purifies them to high-purity metal.
According to Assefi, Gega Elements initially produced crude gallium with a purity of 98%. Following improvements to its refining process, the company has reached a reported purity of 99.98%. Its next objective is to achieve 99.9999% purity, or 6N-grade gallium.
The company also emphasized the flexibility of its process, which can be adapted to the characteristics of different feedstocks. When the target metal is already present in a liquid stream, the initial step of converting solid material into solution can be omitted, potentially shortening the time required to establish an effective recovery process.
The laboratory also contained concentrates involving other elements, including rare earth elementsobtained during research and development activities. At present, however, Gega Elements is primarily focused on recovering and refining gallium and germanium.
The company is also working to reduce the environmental footprint of its processes. Dr. Assefi said that most process reagents are recycled.
Growing Importance for AI Data Centers and the Semiconductor Industry
Gallium and germanium are critical materials for advanced semiconductors, communications infrastructure, and other high-technology applications.
Gallium is used in compound semiconductors such as gallium nitride (GaN). These materials are important for efficient power conversion and fast-charging technologies, and are also expected to play a role in power management systems for data centers.
Germanium, meanwhile, is used in optical fiber and electronic components for space and satellite applications. For certain applications, switching to alternative materials can be difficult, making a stable supply increasingly important.
Against this backdrop of growing demand, the concentration of supply has become a significant risk. Dr. Assefi highlighted the heavy dependence on China for gallium supply and China's significant role in the germanium market. As export controls and geopolitical tensions affect international trade, countries are increasingly seeking to diversify their sources of supply and make greater use of domestic resources.
Gega Elements aims to contribute to this diversification by turning previously underutilized waste materials and manufacturing residues into new sources of critical metals.
Plans for a 10-Tonne Per Year Pilot Facility
Gega Elements plans to build a pilot facility with a feedstock processing capacity of approximately 10 tonnes per year as the next step in scaling up the recovery and refining technologies demonstrated in its laboratory.
The 10-tonne per year figure refers to the amount of feedstock to be processed, not the quantity of gallium or germanium produced. Actual metal output will depend on the concentration of the target elements in the material being processed.
The pilot facility is expected to help the company evaluate how variations in feedstock type and metal concentration affect processing efficiency, production volumes, and project economics. A process that works at laboratory scale may encounter new challenges when transferred to larger equipment. Operating at pilot scale will therefore provide valuable data for optimizing the process and designing future commercial facilities.
Following these trials, the company intends to advance its commercial feasibility assessments. Dr. Assefi noted that moving to commercial production would require time not only to secure suitable feedstock but also to design and construct facilities and optimize operating conditions.
Gega Elements Sees Opportunities for Feedstock and Technical Collaboration with Japan
Potential collaboration with Japanese companies was a key topic during the visit.
The accompanying trading company representative described the difficulties of sourcing germanium from China. The company had previously procured germanium metal and germanium oxide from Chinese suppliers, but export restrictions and related challenges have made transactions more difficult. Securing alternative sources of supply has consequently become a priority.
The representative also described demand from customers in the optical fiber sector, including one case involving expected annual demand for more than one tonne of germanium oxide.
In response, Dr. Assefi explained that Gega Elements is working to secure germanium feedstock and build production capacity over the next 12–24 months.
Residues and sludges generated by zinc and lead smelters in Japan could also represent potential feedstock sources. Dr. Assefi expressed a willingness to discuss opportunities with companies holding materials containing gallium or germanium. He also indicated that he would be open to visiting Japan to advance discussions on potential collaboration.
Under the company's longer-term vision, its Sydney R&D facility would serve as a technology development and validation hub. Working with companies that own or generate suitable feedstock, Gega Elements aims eventually to establish commercial facilities closer to the sources of those materials.
Rather than transporting large volumes of low-grade material over long distances, recovering and refining the metals near where the material is generated could help reduce transportation costs and support national resource-circulation initiatives.
Turning Waste into a New Source of Critical Metals
Securing a stable supply of gallium and germanium will require more than the development of new mines. Recovering these metals from by-products and waste generated by existing metallurgical and manufacturing processes is another important option.
Gega Elements is working to move its recovery and refining technologies from the laboratory toward pilot-scale operations, with the aim of establishing a pathway from feedstock sourcing to commercial production.
For Japan in particular, ensuring a stable supply of critical metals is an important issue for the semiconductor, electronics, and telecommunications industries. If residues and wastewater held by domestic smelters and manufacturers can be turned into viable resources, this could help reduce dependence on overseas supply while advancing domestic resource circulation.
The visit confirmed Gega Elements’ interest in discussing feedstock sourcing and technical cooperation with Japanese companies. The next important step toward potential collaboration will be to assess specific conditions, including feedstock composition and metal concentration, recovery rates, product purity, and processing costs.
