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USGS Mineral Resources Program
Germanium—Giving Microelectronics an Efficiency Boost
A
s part of a broad mission to
conduct research and provide
information on nonfuel mineral
resources, the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) supports science
to understand
• How and where germanium
resources form and concen
trate in the Earth’s crust
• How germanium resources
interact with the environment
to affect human and
ecosystem health
• Trends in the supply and
demand for germanium
in domestic and
inter national markets
• Where future germanium
resources might be found
Why is this information
important? Read on to learn
about germanium and the
important role it plays in the
national economy, in national
security, and in the lives of
Americans every day.
Germanium is a rare element but is present in trace quantities in most rock types because of its affinity
for iron- and organic-bearing materials. The average germanium content of the Earth is about 14 parts per
million (ppm), but the majority of germanium resides within the Earth’s core (37 ppm) while the Earth’s crust
contains only about 1.5 ppm. Germanium does not occur as a native metal in nature, but about 30 different
germanium minerals are known to exist. In refined form, it is grayish-white and metallic in appearance.
Germanium is a semiconducting metalloid with electrical properties between those of a metal and an insulator.
Germanium was discovered in the late 1800s within silver ore at a mine near Freiberg, Germany. The
German chemist who described the element, Clemens Winkler, named it germanium, after his native country.
More than half a century elapsed before its first commercial use after World War II, when Karl Lark-Horovitz
from Purdue University discovered its properties as a semiconductor. Today germanium is commonly used in
commercial, industrial, and military applications.
Germanium is an essentially nontoxic element, with the exception of only a few compounds. However, if
dissolved concentrations in drinking water are as high as one or more parts per million chronic diseases may occur.
How Do We Use Germanium?
During germanium refinement processes, different germanium
compounds and metals are extracted that are designed for a wide
variety of specific applications. The major use of germanium
worldwide is for fiber-optic systems, whereby germanium is added
to the pure silica glass core of fiber-optic cables to increase their
refractive index, minimizing signal loss over long distances.
The leading domestic use of germanium is for the production
of infrared optical lenses and windows. Infrared imaging devices
are used extensively by the military and law enforcement
agencies for surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition
applications. Infrared optical devices improve a soldier’s ability
to effectively operate weapon systems in harsh conditions, and
they are increasingly used in remotely operated unmanned
weapons and aircraft. Infrared optical devices are also used for
border patrol and by emergency response teams for conducting
search-and-rescue operations.
High-purity, single-crystal germanium blocks are sliced into wafers and polished to form substrates
for use in electronics and solar electric applications. Germanium substrates are used to form the base layer
in multijunction solar cells, the highest-efficiency solar cells available as of 2014. These solar cells are the
preferred type for use in space-based solar power applications because of their high energy-conversion
efficiency and strength at minimal size, and they have great potential for increased use in terrestrial-based
photovoltaic installations. Germanium substrates are also used in high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LED)
for backlighting liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions and in vehicle head and taillights.
Powdered compounds of germanium are used to catalyze the polymerization of polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) resin, which is commonly used to manufacture polyester textiles and clear plastic bottles. Less common uses
of germanium include gamma and X-ray detectors, medical applications such as chemotherapy, and metallurgy.
Where Does Germanium Come From?
Germanium is a trace metal found in a variety of magmatic and sedimentary ore deposit types worldwide,
including seafloor volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS), porphyry copper (± molybdenum, ± tin), epithermal,
sedimentary exhalative massive sulfide (SEDEX), sedimentary basin Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits,
and carbonate-hosted Kipushi-type (KPT) zinc-lead-copper deposits. Germanium is primarily recovered as a
byproduct from zinc, silver, lead, and copper ores from these deposits, but world-wide production is dominantly
from the zinc ore mineral, sphalerite (zinc sulfide). Because metallurgical operations are commonly fed by concen-
trates from multiple deposits and diverse locations, it is difficult to track germanium production to specific deposits.
It has been estimated that less than 5 percent of the germanium contained in zinc concentrates is recovered.
Germanium-rich coal and lignite deposits have attracted both researchers and industry, and may become
more important sources of germanium in the future. Coal ashes containing up to 1.1 percent germanium
were identified in 1933 by V.M. Goldschmidt from the Durham Coalfield, United Kingdom. The process to
recover germanium from coal ash collected from flue dusts at power stations was developed in the 1950s;
however, germanium recovery dropped when coal gas was subsequently replaced by natural gas. Currently,
30 to 50 percent of primary germanium production is from lignite deposits in China, Russia, and Uzbekistan.
As of 2013, the largest known germanium-rich coal deposit is located in the Yimin coal field in Inner
Mongolia, with an estimated 4,000 tonnes of germanium resources.
Fiber-optic technology is a cutting edge method
of sending and receiving information long
distances using transmitted light. Photograph
from EnerTech Systems, Inc.
The Denver Federal Center has
installed an 8 Megawatt DC
photovoltaic system as part of its
commitment to become the most
sustainable government campus
in the United States by 2020 (U.S.
General Services Administration).
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Fact Sheet 2015 –3011
July 2015
Worldwide Supply of and Demand for Germanium
Global resources and reserves of germanium are difficult to estimate because germanium is a byproduct
commodity, coming from a wide variety of deposit types. Trace metal concentration data in many deposits are not
readily available or are of poor quality, making reserve calculations problematic. Nevertheless, in 2013 the combined
U.S. germanium reserves and resources were estimated to total about 450 tonnes, whereas those in China and the
Russian Federation were estimated to be about 3,800 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes, respectively. Results from continued
exploration suggest that additional reserves of germanium-rich coals are about 5,600 tonnes in Inner Mongolia and
6,000 to 7,000 tonnes in the Russian Far East.
Worldwide production of germanium has increased dramatically over the last decade; however, production
levels are highly volatile and the market is relatively opaque. In 2012, the world’s total production of germanium was
estimated to be 128 tonnes. This comprised germanium recovered from zinc concentrates, fly ash from coal burning,
and recycled material produced in China (70 percent), Russia (4 percent), the United States (2 percent), and other
countries including Canada, Spain, India, Finland, and Australia. Outside of China, the major germanium producer is
Teck Metals Ltd. (Canada), with a reported production of 40 tonnes germanium in 2007. Their production includes
local and imported zinc concentrations, some of which comes from the Red Dog mine in Alaska, one of the
United States’ germanium-rich zinc mines.
Various companies, several of which are based in the United States, produce specialized germanium-based
technologies including semiconductor production equipment, materials for lighting display applications and wireless
and fiber-optic communications, and a wide variety of industrial materials and recycling services.
Polycrystalline block of
germanium with uneven
cleaved surfaces. Photograph
by Jurii, Wikimedia Commons—
Creative Commons Attribution–
Share Alike 3.0 Unported.
Did you know...
Germanium-rich coal seams are interbedded with siliceous rocks including siliceous limestones
How Do We Ensure Adequate Supplies of Germanium for the Future?
The extensive use of germanium for military and commercial applications has made
it a critical material in the United States and the rest of the world. Silicon can be a less-
expensive substitute for germanium in certain high-frequency electronic, light-emitting
diode, and infrared applications, but commonly at the expense of performance. There are
few adequate substitutes for germanium in defense and law enforcement applications.
Future sources of germanium supplies will likely continue to be germanium-bearing
residues from the processing of zinc ores, coal ash, and from recycling. In recent years,
exploration for new zinc deposits and expansions of known zinc mines have been maintained
at a high level. Although information about germanium grades of discovered zinc deposits
are typically not reported, it is possible that some could contain germanium concentrations
high enough to be extracted from residues during the smelting and refining stages of the zinc
ore. Deposits similar to the Kipushi ores in Africa are possible rich sources of germanium;
however, given their remoteness, exploration and development has been minimal.
Germanium-bearing coal and flue dusts compose the most important germanium resource
by volume, but production from this source will depend on technological improvements
and an increase in germanium prices.
Recycling will remain a major global source of germanium in the future. Because of its low abundance in most finished products, little
germanium is recovered from post-consumer scrap. However, new scrap generated during the manufacture of fiber-optic cables, infrared optics, and
substrates is typically reclaimed at high rates and fed back into the production process. In 2006, a recycling rate of 70 to 80 percent was obtained for
fiber-optic production in the United States.
Red Dog Mine, located in northwest Alaska, is one of the
worlds’ largest producers of zinc concentrate from which
germanium is recovered as a byproduct. Photograph from
NANA Regional Corporation, Inc.
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Did you know...
Future demand for germanium is likely to be driven by fiber-optic cable production,
and is estimated to increase eight-fold from 2006 to 2030
For more information, please contact:
Mineral Resources Program Coordinator
U.S. Geological Survey
913 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
Telephone: 703–648–6100
Fax: 703–648–6057
Email:
minerals@usgs.gov
Home page:
http://minerals.usgs.gov
Text prepared by C.N. Mercer.
For More Information
• On production and consumption of germanium:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/germanium/
• On germanium recycling in the United States:
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/cir1196V/
• On historical statistics for germanium in the United States:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/historical-statistics/
The USGS Mineral Resources Program is the principal Federal
provider of research and information on germanium and other
nonfuel mineral resources.
ISSN 2327– 6932 (online)
http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20153011