Gallium, a soft, silvery metal with the atomic number 31, is integral to modern technology. It melts just above room temperature, specifically at 29.76 degrees Celsius. This unique property, combined with its specialized electrical characteristics, makes it a highly valued material in advanced electronics. Gallium is a foundational component in compound semiconductors like Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Gallium Nitride (GaN). These compounds are used in high-performance applications, including advanced semiconductor chips, high-efficiency Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and components for 5G telecommunications infrastructure.
The Source Materials for Gallium Extraction
Gallium is not mined independently as a standalone ore. Instead, the metal is a trace element recovered as a byproduct during the processing of other, more abundant raw materials, meaning its availability depends entirely on the production cycle of these primary metals. The overwhelming majority of commercial gallium is sourced from bauxite, the primary ore used globally for aluminum production.
Gallium is present in bauxite at very low concentrations, typically around 50 parts per million (ppm). During the Bayer process of refining bauxite into alumina, the gallium concentrates in the highly alkaline sodium aluminate solution, or Bayer liquor. Specialized recovery circuits must then separate the trace gallium from this waste stream. A far smaller, secondary source of gallium is the residue generated during the smelting and processing of zinc ores, particularly the mineral sphalerite.
The technical challenge of extraction is significant, as only a small percentage of the gallium present is recoverable. Only an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the gallium contained within the bauxite ore can be economically captured. This limitation means that the true geological abundance of gallium is far greater than the amount that can actually be brought to market. The economic viability of gallium extraction is closely tied to the scale and efficiency of the aluminum and zinc industries in a given region.
Mapping Global Gallium Reserves
The geological location of raw gallium potential correlates directly with the global distribution of high-quality bauxite reserves. The total gallium content within the world’s bauxite resources is estimated to exceed 1 million tons, concentrated in regions holding the largest bauxite deposits.
The country with the largest known bauxite reserves globally is Guinea, which holds approximately 7.4 billion metric tons of the ore. Other nations possessing immense geological potential include Vietnam, with reserves estimated at 5.8 billion metric tons, along with Australia and Brazil.
Although China holds significant bauxite resources, its reserves are substantially lower than those of the top global holders. The vast quantities of raw bauxite in these regions represent the long-term resource base for gallium, even if the metal is not currently being recovered from every mining operation.
The Geography of Gallium Refinement
The location of the raw ore is only one part of the supply story, as refinement determines market control. Gallium recovered from the Bayer liquor is a low-purity material that must undergo specialized processing to achieve the six-nines purity (99.9999%) required for semiconductor and LED manufacturing. This refinement capacity is highly concentrated geographically.
China is the undisputed leader in the industrial processing of gallium, holding a massive concentration of the world’s primary low-purity production capacity. Estimates suggest China accounts for approximately 89 to 98 percent of the global supply. This dominance stems from the country’s large-scale domestic aluminum industry and long-term investment in recovery infrastructure.
The world’s total annual capacity for producing high-purity refined gallium is relatively small, estimated at around 340,000 kilograms per year. While China is a major refiner, other countries also contribute to the high-purity market, often through the recovery of gallium from manufacturing scrap. Known principal producers include Japan, Canada, Slovakia, and the United States.
The geographical separation between the raw material reserves and the refinement capacity creates a distinct market dynamic. Countries like Guinea and Australia provide the geological source material, but the final, usable metal is overwhelmingly processed in a few specific industrial centers. This concentration dictates the global supply chain for this technologically significant metal.