US Critical Materials has verified the presence of a strategically important deposit of high-quality gallium on its 6,700-acre claims in Sheep Creek, Montana. This mineral is routinely identified as the top supply risk concerning National Security, given that the United States relies entirely on imported gallium, predominantly sourced from China.
The Chinese government has lately imposed an export ban on gallium, a crucial resource for national defense and various other essential uses. Gallium is utilized in the production of semiconductors, 5G technology, cellphones, satellite systems, crucial photonics technologies, and particularly in current and future defense systems.
Gallium has been identified as having the highest supply risk in the United States according to the 2022 list of important minerals. This risk has materialized due to the recent export limits implemented by the People’s Republic of China on gallium and other critical and rare earth minerals.
In December 2023, US Critical Materials and Idaho National Laboratories (INL) entered into an agreement to collaborate on the development of novel techniques for processing rare earth elements, with a specific focus on gallium separation. The cutting-edge technologies created through this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) are expected to have the ability to offer environmentally appropriate mining and processing methods to address environmental problems.
According to US Critical Materials, the gallium that has been found is of superior quality. Furthermore, they express assurance in their ability to develop a separation method that will prioritize environmental sustainability. The average concentration of gallium in US Critical Materials is around 300 parts per million (PPM), with some samples reaching as high as 1,370 PPM. The mineral may be economically extracted at a concentration of 50 parts per million (PPM). US Critical Materials aims to become the leading producer of gallium in the United States.
US Critical Materials is a privately-owned corporation that focuses on exploring, developing, and utilizing rare earths. The company is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and has assets in Montana and Idaho. The Sheep Creek deposits in the United States boast exceptionally high concentrations of rare earth minerals, including a minimum of thirteen minerals that are now classified as “critical”.
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