Friday, 07 July 2023 11:24 AM 

The discovery of a lithium mine in Iran and its potential implications for the global production of lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles are still one of the topics discussed in the world media.
The investment of industrial companies, entrepreneurs and exporters on extracting germanium and gallium from mineral scraps and tailings can enhance the profitability of the mines and minimize their environmental impact.   

In 2013, researchers at the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) extracted gallium from the circulating solution of the Jajarm alumina facility.

The production was first done in a laboratory and then in a pilot bench-scale processing plant set up with a capacity to produce more than 10 grams of gallium per day.

The production of the metal is done in semi-industrial mineral processing plants all over the world and does not require a large industrial production unit.

Gallium production is often connected with the processing of bauxite to aluminium. According to ACECR, gallium accumulates in the circulating solution of alumina production and negatively affects the production process.

The pilot processing, besides putting Iran in the club of the producers of this valuable and strategic metal, has helped increase the quality of alumina produced at Jajarm facility.
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