Gallium – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog highlights information and data I have found on the Internet related to gallium uses, prices, and production.   Key blog objectives are to present a gallium 2018 global production amount and the amount of global revenues represented by the sale of this production.

Uses.  More than 70% of gallium is used to make gallium arsenide and gallium nitride.  Gallium arsenide and gallium nitride’s semiconducting properties are such that they are used in many applications where such semiconducting properties are needed.  Gallium arsenide and gallium nitride are used in such applications as: integrated circuits; laser diodes; light emitting diodes; solar panels and cells; mobile phones; radio frequency devices; and pressure sensors.  Gallium metal’s low melting point (and high boiling point) has led to its use in thermometers and in low-melting alloys used in soldering.

Prices.  Gallium prices depend on its purity.   Lower purity (99.99% or less) gallium 2018 prices averaged around $160 per kilogram (kg).  High purity (greater than 99.99% purity) gallium had a 2018 average price in the $350 per kg range.

Production.  About 90% of gallium is produced as a by-product of bauxite (aluminum) mining, with the rest being a by-product of zinc mining.  Estimates are that in 2018 approximately 410 metric tons (mt) of gallium were mined (produced) with about half of the amount further refined to high purity gallium (> 99.99% purity).  This 410 mt of gallium then represents about $105 million in global revenues (205 mt low purity gallium X $160 per kg = $33 M; 205 mt high purity gallium X $350 per kg = $72 M; $33 M plus $72 = $105 M).  Estimates are that enough gallium exists in the planet’s crust to meet gallium demand for the foreseeable future.  Both the United States and the European Union list gallium on a critical list of elements for national purposes.  In addition to revenues generated by the gallium element, sales of gallium arsenide and gallium nitride generate significant revenues.  Estimates are that global gallium arsenide revenues in 2018 were approximately $300 million and gallium nitride revenues approximately $500 million.  This gallium arsenide and gallium nitride are used in dozens of devices having applications listed in the Uses section above.   Estimates are that currently no gallium is recovered from end-of-life devises, although research is ongoing in perfecting the technology that would be needed to do so.