Join MOSMIN for a deep dive into how advanced observation ­techno­logies are reshaping the way we monitor, assess, and revalue mine waste.

Gallium is a strategically important element and the backbone of the semiconductor industry for mobile data transmission and optoelectronics applications. It is used in wafers (GaAs, GaN), electronic chips, and optical componen­ts such as LEDs and lasers. One kilogram of gallium currently costs around €1,000, and the price is rising. During industrial processing, a considerable amount of the raw material is already lost when etching or polishing processes remove material. The residues are sometimes highly diluted or the mixture is chemically complex, making reco­very by conventional chemical means difficult. This is where the research of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) comes in. Using a biotechnological process, the wastewa­ter from Freiberger Compound Material­s is treated in a pilot scale facility and the gallium is reco­vered.

The Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology celebrates its 20th anni­versary and will pay tribute to the ore deposits of the Variscan orogeny with the topic: Mineral Systems and Metals Endowment of the Variscan Orogeny. The event will be held at the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology.