Chain
Germanium Refining
Refining converts germanium leach concentrates and recycled scrap into germanium dioxide and zone-refined metal, the two traded forms from which every downstream product is made.
Stage diagram
The last public world estimates put combined primary and secondary production at about 140,000 kg (2021), with the US figure withheld; USGS discontinued the country table after 2023 because most producers do not report (USGS MCS 2022, p. 71; MCS 2026, p. 89). US net import reliance has exceeded 50% in every recent year, with 2025 metal imports falling 67% under China’s export ban (MCS 2026, p. 89).
Materials at this stage: Germanium Leach Concentrate, Germanium Dioxide, Refined Germanium Metal
Facility-line flow trace
| Facility / line | Location | Stage and derived state | Input → output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5N Plus St. George germanium refinery | St. George, Utah | High purity refining | Germanium Leach Concentrate → Refined Germanium Metal |
| Indium Corporation Rome metals operation | Rome, New York | High purity refining | Germanium Leach Concentrate → Refined Germanium Metal |
| Lattice Materials Bozeman germanium plant | Bozeman, Montana | Recycling Announced | Germanium-Bearing Scrap → Refined Germanium Metal |
| Lattice Materials Bozeman germanium plant | Bozeman, Montana | Crystal substrate | Refined Germanium Metal → Germanium Bulk Crystal, Germanium Optical Blank |
| Umicore Quapaw germanium materials plant | Quapaw, Oklahoma | Recycling | Germanium-Bearing Scrap → Refined Germanium Metal |
| Umicore Quapaw germanium materials plant | Quapaw, Oklahoma | High purity refining | Germanium Leach Concentrate → Refined Germanium Metal |
| Umicore Quapaw germanium materials plant | Quapaw, Oklahoma | Compound chemicals | Refined Germanium Metal → Germanium Tetrachloride |
| Umicore Quapaw germanium materials plant | Quapaw, Oklahoma | Crystal substrate | Refined Germanium Metal → Germanium Bulk Crystal, Germanium Optical Blank |
| Nyrstar Hobart proposed germanium recovery | Hobart, Tasmania | Byproduct recovery Announced | Zinc-Process Germanium-Bearing Residues → Germanium Leach Concentrate |
| Umicore Olen germanium complex | Olen, Antwerp | Recycling | Germanium-Bearing Scrap → Refined Germanium Metal |
| Umicore Olen germanium complex | Olen, Antwerp | Compound chemicals | Refined Germanium Metal → Germanium Tetrachloride, Germanium Dioxide |
| Umicore Olen germanium complex | Olen, Antwerp | Crystal substrate | Refined Germanium Metal → Germanium Bulk Crystal, Germanium Wafer |
| Teck Trail Operations strategic-metals lines | Trail, British Columbia | Byproduct recovery | Zinc-Process Germanium-Bearing Residues → Germanium Leach Concentrate |
| STL Big Hill germanium recovery plant | Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga | Byproduct recovery | Zinc-Process Germanium-Bearing Residues → Germanium Leach Concentrate |
| Akita Rare Metals gallium and germanium operation | Akita, Akita | Recycling | Germanium-Bearing Scrap → Refined Germanium Metal |
| Korea Zinc Onsan gallium and germanium projects | Onsan, Ulsan | Byproduct recovery Announced | Zinc-Process Germanium-Bearing Residues → Germanium Dioxide |
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey · published Feb 1, 2026 · retrieved Aug 15, 2026 · archive unavailable: Wayback capture queued at record creation 2026-08-15; archive verification deferred to a weekly pass