Critical Minerals and Security: A Look at Gallium

Payne Institute Advanced Energy Systems student Peyton Sanders writes about how gallium plays a vital role in the development of critical defense and energy technologies, and demand is growing. The US is entirely dependent for its gallium needs on imports from countries such as China – raising concerns around supply chain security.  Before being recognized as a strategic critical metal during the mid-twentieth century, Gallium was most often used in high temperature thermometry, barometers, and heat transfer systems. This soft, silvery metal was attractive due to having one of the largest liquid-state ranges of any metal and a very low vapor pressure, but its low reactivity and low toxicity are what made it the safer, more environmentally friendly option compared to similarly performing elements. As a result, the US Department of Defense has since committed to $30 million in funding to break free from strategic mineral reliance on China.  July 5, 2022.