U.S. Targets Gallium from Red Mud | Little Rock News

The Department of Energy is pouring $162 million into nine pilot projects to boost domestic production of critical minerals like gallium, scandium, and rare earth elements—extracted from industrial waste. One major project in Saline County, led by Alcoa USA, will use microwave tech to recover gallium from red mud, a byproduct of bauxite processing. With China controlling 98% of global gallium supply, this U.S.-based initiative aims to secure vital materials for defense, energy, and manufacturing, while reducing reliance on foreign sources and unlocking new economic opportunities. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/61b1c349b715bc77