MTM Critical Metals (ASX: MTM) has just announced a breakthrough in gallium and germanium recovery—two metals at the heart of Washington and Beijing’s economic standoff. Their proprietary Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology has successfully extracted ~90% gallium and ~80% germanium from semiconductor industry waste—solving a problem previously considered commercially unviable.
From a macro point of view:
- China has officially banned exports of gallium and germanium to the U.S. as part of its retaliatory trade measures against President Trump’s new tariffs. With China controlling 95% of global gallium production, this move has sent Western governments scrambling for alternative supplies (see: https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/china-trump-trade-war/)
- Gallium prices surged over 50% in 2024, and experts warn of potential shortages for semiconductors, military technology, and renewable energy industries.
- MTM’s breakthrough potentially offers a viable, non-Chinese supply solution just as the U.S. and its allies are ramping up efforts to secure domestic critical mineral sources.
MTM’s technology is a world-first in effectively extracting gallium and germanium from semiconductor waste without using acids or environmentally harmful methods.
The company has access to high-value semiconductor scrap from Indium Corporation, one of the West’s largest technology metal suppliers.
MTM is already in discussions on supply and offtake agreements, with plans to begin production by late 2025 from its US based commercial 1 tonne per day pilot plant, scaling up rapidly thereafter.
MTM Managing Director & CEO, Michael Walshe, commented: “We’re thrilled with FJH technology’s versatility across multiple metals, and the latest test results for ultra-high-value technology metals couldn’t be timelier given the current geopolitical landscape. Ga & Ge are indispensable to semiconductors and defence applications, yet their supply chains remain highly vulnerable due to overwhelming dependence on imports—particularly from China. MTM’s proprietary process offers a commercially viable, environmentally friendly solution to secure domestic supplies of these strategic materials, creating a major economic opportunity for the Company”.
About us:
ABOUT MTM CRITICAL METALS LIMITED MTM Critical Metals Limited (ABN 27 645 885 463), is an ASX & OTCQB-listed company with management teams in Perth, Western Australia, and Texas, USA, and specialises in advanced metal recovery technologies. MTM’s 100%-owned USA subsidiary Flash Metals USA Inc is based in Texas, USA. MTM possess exclusive licensing rights to the innovative Flash Joule Heating technology, a cutting-edge metal recovery and mineral processing method developed by esteemed researchers at Rice University, USA. Additionally, MTM holds exploration assets prospective for niobium (Nb), rare earth elements (REE), and gold, strategically located in Western Australia and Québec.
– Flash Joule Heating (FJH) is an advanced electrothermal process that enhances metal recovery and mineral processing compared to traditional methods. By rapidly heating materials in a controlled atmosphere, FJH efficiently extracts metals like lithium from spodumene, gallium from scrap, and gold from e-waste, among others. This technology has the potential to revolutionise metal recovery by reducing energy consumption, reagent use, and waste, offering a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative.
– MTM’s West Arunta Nb-REE exploration assets are situated in one of Australia’s premier exploration hotspots, where over $60 million has been invested by ASX-listed companies such as WA1 Resources, Encounter Resources, Rio Tinto (in JV with Tali Resources), and IGO Limited. MTM also holds tenements in other key mineral regions across Western Australia, including the Mukinbudin Nb-REE Project, East Laverton Gold & Base Metals Project, and Mt Monger Gold Project. In Québec, the Pomme Project is a highly promising carbonatite intrusion rich in REE and niobium, located near the world-class Montviel deposit.
