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Greece is entering gallium production, making it one of the important players in the green transition and breaking China’s<\/strong> monopoly in the production of this strategic raw material.<\/p>\n Gallium is a chemical element with the symbol Ga and atomic number 31.<\/p>\n It belongs to group 13 of the periodic table and is mainly extracted as a by-product from metallurgy.<\/p>\n Bauxite<\/strong> is used in the production of aluminum. It is of interest because of its ability to remain liquid below its melting point. It was discovered in 1875 by the French chemist Paul-\u00c9mile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, who named it in honour of France.<\/p>\n It is non-toxic and is used in applications where other heavy metals may be hazardous.<\/p>\n Characteristics of Gallium:<\/strong><\/p>\n Atomic mass:<\/em> 69.723 amu<\/p>\n Physical Properties:<\/em> Gallium has a low melting point (29.76\u00b0C), which makes it special, as it can melt if we hold it in our hand. Its colour is silvery-white with a metallic lustre and a high boiling point (2204\u00b0C). It is soft and flexible.<\/p>\n Chemical Properties:<\/em> Reacts with acids and bases to form gallium oxides or hydroxides. Does not oxidise easily in air.<\/p>\n Applications:<\/strong><\/p>\n Semiconductors:<\/em> It is used extensively in compounds such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN), which are critical to the electronics industry.<\/p>\n Medicine:<\/em> It is used in nuclear medicine with the radioactive isotope gallium-67.<\/p>\n Thermometers:<\/em> It is used in thermometers instead of mercury due to its low melting point and non-toxicity.<\/p>\n Main gallium producers:<\/strong><\/p>\n China<\/strong>:<\/em> The largest producer of gallium in the world.<\/p>\n Russia, Germany, Japan and USA:<\/em> Also important producers, mainly for industrial and electronic applications.<\/p>\n The production process of gallium involves its extraction as a by-product during the metallurgy of bauxite and zinc sulphide minerals. A significant amount of gallium also comes from recycling electronic waste, such as LEDs and solar panels.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Macron visits Beirut for first time since Aoun’s election and visits Greek Orthodox college<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n