USGS Updates Mineral Database with Gallium Deposits in the United States
USGS Updates Mineral Database with Gallium Deposits in the US
Release Date:
March 11, 2021
In the latest database update based on the Critical Minerals List, the USGS has added Gallium to USMIN.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has updated its
35 mineral commodities declared critical by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2018. The two deposits in this dataset occur in Alaska and Texas.
Gallium is used to manufacture integrated circuits and optoelectronic devices, which include laser diodes, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors and solar cells. Gallium is primarily recovered as a byproduct of processing aluminum or zinc ores.