MTM Critical Metals and Indium Corp partner to bolster US strategic minerals supply chain

MTM Critical Metals (ASX: MTM) has formed a strategic partnership with New York-headquartered Indium Corporation, one of the Western world’s largest suppliers of refined gallium, germanium, indium and other specialty technology metals.

Gallium, germanium and indium are considered of strategic global importance due to their critical roles in highly sensitive commercial and military technologies.

MTM’s 100%-owned USA subsidiary Flash Metals USA holds the exclusive licensing rights to the innovative Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology, a cutting-edge metal recovery and mineral processing method.

Essential supply

MTM chief executive officer Michael Walshe said the agreement with Indium would help secure a US-based supply of critical metals essential to the defence, semiconductor and high-tech industries.

The collaboration aims to use MTM’s FJH technology to recover high-value metals from various scrap sources.

“Together, we are tackling supply chain vulnerabilities with an innovative approach to efficiently recover critical metals domestically, advancing US efforts towards critical metal independence,” Mr Walshe said.

Scrap materials

Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), MTM will process scrap materials provided by Indium that are rich in gallium, germanium, indium and tin, with a focus on developing advanced recovery methods using the FJH technology.

Indium global business unit manager Markus Roas said the strategic collaboration aligns with US efforts to establish a secure domestic supply of critical materials.

“FJH technology offers a novel and sustainable solution to recover these vital elements from waste materials, ensuring reliable access without relying on external sources,” Mr Roas said.

“At Indium, we believe that secondary raw materials and urban mining will become key pillars for the future and we are excited to support this collaboration in addressing the strategic needs of our industry.”

Testing underway

Testing on Indium-supplied feedstocks is already underway at MTM’s Texas-based laboratory.

Mr Walshe said that not only does the MoU highlight the potential of MTM’s FJH technology, but it also provides a strong endorsement from a leader in the technology metals sector.

“FJH technology – developed in collaboration with Rice University in Houston, Texas – represents an important advancement in metal recovery, reducing environmental impact, energy consumption and processing time compared to traditional methods,” he said.

US DoE grant

MTM has received a letter of support from Indium in its application for a US Department of Energy (DoE) grant pertaining to “Advancing Technology Development for Securing a Domestic Supply of Critical Minerals and Materials.”

Funding from the grant could be as much as $15 million, with successful applicants decided by April 2025.

Indium has also agreed to provide feedstock to support this grant application.

High-tech applications

The gallium, germanium and indium markets are largely driven by demand in electronics, high-tech applications and advanced military technologies.

Gallium is crucial for copper-indium-gallium-selenide photovoltaic cells, emerging solar applications, low-melting-point alloys, semiconductors and thermoelectric materials.

Also valued for its semiconductor properties, germanium is primarily used in fibre optics, infrared optics and solar cells, while its optical properties make it ideal for a number of defence technology uses.

Principally used in indium tin oxide, a transparent conductor for touchscreens, LCDs, and various display technologies, indium also has military tech applications in displays and control panels for vehicles and aircraft.