Electrolytic gallium metal production: Status, challenges, and opportunities

Gallium (Ga) is a strategic and critical metal, but its production via electrolysis is not a carefully archived topic in scientific literature. This perspective article aims at synthesizing available literature on Ga electrowinning technologies to provide a summary of the current status as well as future technical challenges and opportunities in Ga metal making. Important electrolytic routes for Ga metal production in aqueous and nonaqueous media are reviewed, highlighting their key advantages and disadvantages, and the key challenges that must be overcome to enhance their performance. The author also discusses perspective on how fundamental process characteristics such as Ga multivalency, H₂ co-generation during electrolysis, electrolyte properties (conductivity and diffusivity), and electrowon metal purity need to be considered in next-generation energy-efficient, cost-competitive, and environmentally friendly processes for Ga production from primary sources.