Metallium, via its subsidiary Flash Metals USA, has inked an agreement with ElementUSA to recover gallium and other critical materials from red mud, the waste product of alumina refining.

The collaboration will establish a demonstration facility in Gramercy, Louisiana, using Metallium’s Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology. Metallium will provide up to US$10.1 million in funding for the installation and operation of the FJH units across two pilot and scaling phases.

Metallium CEO and Managing Director Michael Walshe said that the partnership is a strong endorsement of their technology and supports the expansion of domestic critical minerals capability for defense and semiconductor industries. The FJH technology will process the 30 million tons of red mud feedstock at the Gramercy Alumina refinery after initial testing in Texas.