Technology for extracting germanium from various man-made raw materials

Germanium is considered one of the main elements of technical progress – at one time it became the most important semiconductor. In particular, it was the appearance of transistors based on germanium that put an end to the use of tubes in radio and audio equipment. Later, germanium in transistors began to give way to silicon. Nevertheless, element No. 32 does not give up its positions – research leads to the discovery of new areas of its application.

Applications

• Infrared optics
• Fiber optics
• Chemical catalysis
• Electronics
• Gamma spectroscopy (nuclear physics)
• Semiconductor materials
• Medicine and pharmaceuticals
• Metallurgy
• Germanium dioxide is used as a component of catalysts in the production of synthetic fibers and polyethylene phthalate resins (PET)
• Almost half of all commercial germanium dioxide produced in the world, or 20-30% of the germanium produced, is used for plastic packaging for food products

PRODUCTION

JSC “Titanium Institute” has a technology for extracting germanium from various raw materials listed below.
It is also possible to consider other raw materials, containing germanium, for its extraction.

GERMANIUM-CONTAINING RAW MATERIALS

It is possible to process various types of germanium-containing raw materials, namely:
– scrap of germanium lenses (elements of optical means: windows, lenses, filters) of infrared optics mainly for military purposes;
– scrap of germanium extracted from various electronic devices;
– germanium extracted from fiber-optic communication lines during their processing and disposal;
– grinding powders containing small particles of germanium (formed from the production of germanium lenses);
– germanium concentrates of coke-chemical production;
– fly ash (with a germanium content of at least 0.35 – 0.70% mass.) from thermal power plants operating on coal;
– technical germanium dioxide.