Flash Joule Heating technology could improve the recycling of critical metals.
Australia-based Metallium has announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Flash Metals Texas, has secured a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to demonstrate its proprietary technology for recovering gallium from recycled electronic waste and industrial scrap.
The award, valued at $65,000, will fund a six-month proof-of-concept program using Metallium’s Flash Joule Heating (FJH) process. This method applies ultra-rapid electrical discharges to heat materials to around 3,000°C in milliseconds, enabling the efficient separation and recovery of gallium and potentially other valuable elements. The technology was developed in collaboration with a team of researchers from Rice University in Houston, Texas, which has pioneered this method, aiming to reduce the costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional recycling methods such as hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy (we reported).
If the initial phase is successful, the company will be eligible to apply for Phase II funding of up to $1 million to scale pilot operations, followed by Phase III commercialization contracts ranging from $10 to $100 million.
Gallium has become one of the most critical elements for the United States. Since mid-2023, exports from China, which supplies the majority of the world’s gallium, have been subject to a licensing system that prohibits shipments abroad without official licenses. In December 2024, China further escalated its restrictions by halting all shipments to the U.S. indefinitely, highlighting its dependency.
Photo: iStock/Andrey Mitrofanov