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ABSTRACT
Used for a very long time as an intrinsic semiconductor, germanium has become a strategic metal. Indeed, it is currently used as a component of optical fibers, polymerization catalyst, component in infrared optics and electronics, as well as in many other applications, such as dentistry, spectral analysis or photography. A by-product of zinc ore, copper and zinc, it is also extracted from certain coals and has many natural isotopes. Being non-toxic, it presents no danger to the environment.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Pierre BLAZY: Honorary Professor - Former Director, École Nationale Supérieure de Géologie (ENSG)
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El-Aïd JDID: Doctor of Science - Research Engineer, Laboratoire Environnement et Minéralurgie (LEM), UMR 7569, Nancy university (ENSG-INPL), CNRS
INTRODUCTION
Germanium is a metalloid with electrical properties somewhere between those of a metal and an insulator. Used as a semiconductor half a century ago, it is now considered a component of optical fibers and a polymerization catalyst in the manufacture of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). It is also used for infrared (IR) night vision and as a semiconductor in electronics. In this sense, it is a strategic metal.
Germanium is a by-product of zinc or copper-zinc ores. However, certain coals are also potential germanium resources. Extracting germanium from these resources involves producing a germanium concentrate, which is taken up in hydrochloric acid to give germanium tetrachloride, which is purified by fractional distillation. When the material is germanium scrap, it is transformed into oxide, then processed in the same way as concentrates from ores. It is estimated that 25-35% of global consumption comes from recycling.
Germanium is a relatively non-toxic element, presenting no significant danger to the environment.
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