Gallium (Gallium) is a chemical element that is usually extracted from by-products of metals such as aluminum, zinc, and copper. The following are common refining methods of gallium:
1. Solvent extraction method: This is one of the main refining methods of gallium. First, a metal sample containing gallium is mixed with an organic solvent (usually formazanite) to form a reaction system. The gallium is then transferred from the metal sample into an organic solvent by controlling temperature and acidity. Finally, after multiple extraction and separation steps, gallium with higher purity can be obtained.
2. Vapor phase transmission method: This method is usually used to extract gallium with higher purity. First, a metal sample containing gallium is placed in a high-temperature furnace and heated to the boiling point of gallium (approximately 2403°C). At high temperatures, gallium will evaporate into gas, and through a series of condensation, precipitation and other steps, the gallium gas will be converted into liquid or solid gallium with higher purity.
3. Electrolysis: This is a less commonly used refining method. By applying an electric current in the gallium metal salt solution, the gallium ions are reduced to metallic gallium with higher purity. This method is primarily used for high-purity, laboratory-grade gallium extraction.
It should be noted that the refining process of gallium may involve some special chemical reagents and equipment, and may vary in practice. In addition, refining gallium requires strict compliance with relevant environmental protection and safety measures to ensure the safety and sustainability of the operation.
The uses of gallium mainly involve the following aspects:
1. Semiconductor field:
Gallium is an important semiconductor material and is widely used in Manufacture of various electronic components such as diodes, field effect transistors, solar cells, etc. Gallium has excellent semiconductor properties and high-speed response characteristics, and can be used in computers, communications, automation and other fields.
2. Optoelectronic field:
Gallium is also commonly used in the manufacture of optoelectronic devices, such as lasers, LEDs and photoelectric sensors. These devices are widely used in modern electronic technology and communication technology.
3. Medical field:
Gallium has relatively weak radioactivity and can be used in medical diagnosis and treatment, such as the production of FDG radioactive tracers for PET scans.
4. Metal alloy field:
Gallium is often used to prepare iron-nickel alloys to increase their hardness and magnetism and improve their service life.
5. Precision instrument field:
Gallium has stable mechanical properties and can be used to make precision instrument parts.
6. Production of other high-purity metals or compounds:
Gallium is often used to purify other metals or produce high-purity metal compounds, such as high-purity gallium silicon used in the electronics industry.
It should be noted that the application of gallium in various fields is gradually expanding, but the reserves of gallium are small and the price is relatively high. Therefore, it is necessary to rationally utilize gallium resources and study new gallium application technologies and materials to achieve sustainable development of resources.