Chalmers University Study Maps Gallium and Germanium Recycling Potential for Automotive Electronics

Highlights

• EU's 7 million tonnes of annual red-mud generation could theoretically contain about 140 tonnes of gallium, per Chalmers University estimates.
• End-of-life recovery rates for gallium and germanium from automotive ECUs are near zero, highlighting a major circularity gap.
• Manufacturing scrap from semiconductor production offers the most commercially viable near-term recycling opportunity for both metals.
• Neo Performance Materials, Indium Corporation, and Umicore are identified as active recyclers in gallium and germanium recovery.
• Researchers call for pilot studies on high-concentration waste streams before scaling recycling infrastructure.