This story originally Appears in Grist It is part of Climate desk collaboration.
Vasileios Tsianos, Vice President of Corporate Development, in the summer of 2023 Neo Performance Materialsbegan receiving calls from government officials on both sides of the Atlantic. In the world of industrial materials manufacturing, NEO is best known for producing rare earth magnets used in everything from home appliances to electric vehicles. However, these calls were not about rare earths. They were about something rather rare: gallium metal.
NeoRecycle Dozens of tons A factory in Ontario, Canada, mainly from the production of semiconductor chips for a year. In North America, it is the only industrial-scale producer of metals, and is used not only in chips, but also in clean energy technology and military equipment.
China, one of the world’s leading producers, has spent much longer announcement New export controls for gallium, Apparently accordingly Reports include the US government considering restrictions on the sale of advanced semiconductor chips to China.
Suddenly people wanted to talk to Neo. “We spoke to almost everyone,” Tournos told Grist, his interest in producing gallium outside of China.
Since Tsianos began receiving these calls, the tension surrounding the 31st element of the periodic table, as well as the 32nd germanium, which is used in advanced technology, has escalated. December, China It was completely prohibited Exporting both metals to the US following the Biden administration’s decision Additionally, limits US chip exports.
Several companies currently operating in the US and Canada are considering expanding their production of rare metals to meet our demand. Canadian critical mineral producers may be swept for a new geopolitical star if Trump passes with him The threat of imposing tariffsUS metal producers could see support from the new administration. The first day of presidential order. Beyond the US and Canada, industry observers say China’s export ban is fueling global interest To make the critical mineral supply chain more diverse, we will ensure that there is no one country with chalkholding more than essential materials for the high-tech clean energy future.
“This latest round of bans has added a lot of wind to the sails of key mineral supply chain efforts, not just in the US but also worldwide.” Seaver One Grist said of the Breakthrough Institute, a research center focused on technical solutions to environmental issues.
Gallium and germanium are not exactly common names. However, they are found in a society that does not contain essential products and fossil-free fuels. Gallium is used due to its impressive electrical properties Semiconductor chip This will take you to everything from cell phones to electric vehicle power converters to LED lighting displays. This metal is also used in rare earth magnet manufacturing for electric vehicles and wind turbines, thin film solar cells, and sometimes commercially popular silicon solar cells, which helps improve performance and extend lifespan.
