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How is gallium extracted from ores?
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boron group element
Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).
Gallium does not occur in independent minerals in concentrated forms, meaning it is not mined as a primary ore. Instead, it is extracted as a by-product during the processing of other materials.12
The primary sources from which gallium is recovered include:
While a rare mineral known as gallite (CuGaS) does exist, it is not economically significant for the extraction of the metal.2