As critical raw materials for high-tech development, China has achieved a series of major breakthroughs in the development and utilization of scattered metals such as gallium, germanium, and indium.
Innovation achievements show that China has overcome efficient extraction technology for low-grade scattered metals in coal, aluminum, copper, lead, and zinc ores. The comprehensive recovery rate of germanium from coal has increased from 55% to over 80%, while the comprehensive recovery rates of gallium, germanium, and indium in lead-zinc smelting processes have increased by approximately 10% on average. In copper smelting processes, the recovery rates of selenium, tellurium, and rhenium have improved from 93%, 65%, and 70% to 97%, 90%, and 80% respectively.
Key technologies and core equipment for producing high-purity scattered metal products have also achieved important breakthroughs. China has independently developed five types of core equipment including temperature gradient condensation-crystal orientation controlled directional crystallizers, achieving stable mass production of 8N-grade high-purity gallium for semiconductor molecular beam epitaxy. The country has developed its first domestic planar high-purity germanium detector, filling a domestic gap. Production lines for high-end raw materials such as ultra-high purity germanium have been established, realizing the transition from primary products to high-end products. These breakthroughs have broken foreign monopolies and restrictions on high-end products, supporting the increase in self-sufficiency rates of key strategic metal products including MBE high-purity gallium, LCD panel indium, germanium single crystal substrates, and cadmium telluride thin films to over 70%, playing a crucial supporting role in defense, new energy, 5G communications, and semiconductors.
Scattered metals like gallium, germanium, and indium play an irreplaceable foundational role in strategic emerging industries, future industries, and defense sectors. They are key raw materials for seizing technological advantages and are crucial for enhancing the resilience and security of related industrial chains and supply chains. In China, scattered metals are mainly associated with minerals such as coal, aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, and molybdenum. However, for a long time, these metals faced challenges including lengthy mining and processing procedures, low recovery rates, unstable high-purity product quality, and low yield rates. This series of major breakthroughs helps end China’s dependence on foreign sources for high-end raw materials and sophisticated products.
coal
Coal is not a specific place or cultural site, but a combustible sedimentary rock formed from ancient plant matter over millions of years. Historically, its large-scale mining during the Industrial Revolution powered factories, railways, and steamships, fundamentally transforming economies and societies. While its use has declined in many regions due to environmental concerns, it remains a significant energy source in parts of the world.
aluminum
“Aluminum” is not a specific place or cultural site, but a chemical element and metal. Its history is defined by its discovery and the development of an affordable extraction process in the 19th century, which transformed it from a precious metal into a widely used material for industry, transportation, and construction.
copper
Copper is not a specific place or cultural site, but a metal that has been used by humans for thousands of years. Its history is deeply tied to the Copper Age, a prehistoric period when it was one of the first metals to be worked into tools and ornaments. Today, its excellent conductivity makes it essential for electrical wiring and its antimicrobial properties are utilized in healthcare settings.
lead
“Lead” is not a specific place or cultural site. It is a common English word that can refer to the heavy metal element, a position of advantage, or the act of guiding. If you meant a specific location like Lead, South Dakota, it is a historic gold mining town founded in 1876 and home to the Homestake Mine, one of the largest and deepest gold mines in North America.
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element (Zn) and not a specific place or cultural site. Historically, its use dates back to antiquity, with the Romans having produced brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, as early as the 1st century BC. The large-scale production of metallic zinc began in India around the 12th century and was later industrialized in Europe during the 18th century.
molybdenum
Molybdenum is not a place or cultural site, but a chemical element. It is a silvery-white metal that is primarily used to strengthen steel alloys. Historically, it was often confused with other minerals like graphite and lead ore until it was properly identified as a unique element in the late 18th century.
LCD panel indium
“LCD panel indium” refers not to a place or cultural site, but to the chemical element indium and its critical role in technology. It is a key component in indium tin oxide (ITO), a transparent conductive film that forms the electrodes in Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screens. The widespread adoption of LCDs in televisions, smartphones, and monitors since the late 20th century has made indium a vital, though finite, material in modern electronics.
germanium single crystal substrates
Germanium single crystal substrates are ultra-pure crystalline materials used as a foundational base in semiconductor and optoelectronics manufacturing. Their history is rooted in the early development of transistor technology in the 1940s and 1950s, where germanium was the original semiconductor material. Today, they are critical for applications like high-efficiency solar cells and infrared optics due to germanium’s unique electronic and infrared-transparent properties.
