Metallium Limited (ASX: MTM; OTCQX: MTMCF) has been awarded a US$1 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the U.S. Department of War through the Defense Logistics Agency, targeting domestic recovery of gallium and germanium from electronic waste using its proprietary Flash Joule Heating technology.
The award to Flash Metals Texas, Inc. — Metallium’s wholly owned U.S. subsidiary — follows the successful completion of Phase I, which achieved all technical milestones in approximately six months, roughly half the standard SBIR timeframe. The programme is formally titled “Domestic Recovery of Gallium from Waste through Flash Electrothermal Chlorination.”
Why the Metallium Limited Contract Matters for Gallium Supply
The United States is 100% import-dependent for gallium, with China controlling the dominant share of global primary production. Following China’s export licensing controls introduced in 2023, Western benchmark gallium prices have diverged sharply from Chinese domestic prices. The Defense Logistics Agency’s decision to back Metallium through a competitive SBIR Phase II award signals that the technology has cleared federal technical and commercial scrutiny.
Germanium — used in fibre optics, infrared optics, and radar systems — faces a structurally similar supply position. China accounts for the majority of global refined germanium output and has applied comparable export restrictions. Metallium’s FJH process targets both metals from the same e-waste feedstock streams, including semiconductor scrap and printed circuit boards.
The DLA is one of the U.S. government’s primary logistics agencies for defence-critical materials. A Phase II SBIR contract through DLA is not a discretionary grant — it is a direct statement of strategic intent, backed by technical validation of the Phase I results.
Texas Operations: Where Metallium Limited Stands
Metallium’s Gator Point Technology Campus in Chambers County, Texas, is currently in active commissioning. On 12 May 2026, the company completed a 12-hour continuous single-reactor FJH campaign, which it described as validating its Generation-1 automation systems ahead of planned multi-reactor deployment. Stage-1 throughput is targeted at 8,000 tonnes per annum, with a Q3 2026 target date.
Feedstock supply is partially contracted. Metallium has binding agreements covering 50% of its Stage-1 PCB throughput target, including a supply agreement with Glencore for up to 2,400 tpa of electronic scrap. The company is targeting contracted feedstock coverage of approximately 70% of Stage-1 capacity, retaining the balance for spot market procurement.
A 10-year offtake agreement with Indium Corporation — a major U.S. refiner of gallium and germanium — was announced 31 March 2026, establishing a commercial offtake pathway for the recovered metals. Metallium completed a A$75 million strategic capital raise in January 2026, led by U.S. investors, which is funding the Texas campus build-out and supports a planned NASDAQ listing.
Technology Assessment: Flash Joule Heating
Flash Joule Heating was developed at Rice University and is the subject of Metallium’s core patents. The process applies rapid, high-temperature electrical pulses to e-waste feedstock, enabling electrothermal chlorination to selectively volatilise target metals including gallium and germanium. Metallium describes it as a low-carbon, high-efficiency recovery platform applicable to multiple feedstock types: e-waste, refinery scrap, and monazite.
The technology’s commercial challenge is structural. Gallium and germanium exist in trace concentrations within complex substrates — gallium nitride and gallium arsenide compounds are chemically stable and physically embedded within quartz, aluminium, and circuit board resins. Conventional smelting disperses these metals into lower-value streams. The FJH approach targets selective recovery from this complexity, but pilot-to-industrial scaling remains the critical risk. Metallium has not yet published commercial recovery rates or operating economics for its Texas operations.
The Phase II SBIR award provides US$1 million specifically to advance FJH toward pilot-scale deployment for gallium and germanium recovery, separate from the company’s primary Stage-1 commissioning programme focused on gold, copper, silver, and tin from PCB feedstock. The DoW contract effectively funds parallel development of the specialty metals recovery line.
Context: E-Waste as a Strategic Ore Body
The Metallium award reflects a broader shift in U.S. critical minerals strategy. The Defense Logistics Agency has historically managed strategic stockpile drawdowns; its involvement in funding novel recovery technologies from domestic waste streams marks a tactical expansion of that mandate. Washington’s approach is increasingly treating accumulated electronic waste not as a disposal problem but as an untapped domestic resource for defence-critical metals.
According to Argus Media, Metallium expects to start full commercial operations at its Texas facility in 2026. The company is listed on ASX under the ticker MTM and trades on the OTCQX as MTMCF, with ADRs under MTLMY.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Prices are subject to change without notice.
What has Metallium Limited been awarded?
Metallium Limited’s U.S. subsidiary, Flash Metals Texas, Inc., has been awarded a US$1 million Phase II SBIR contract by the U.S. Department of War through the Defense Logistics Agency. The contract funds pilot-scale development of gallium and germanium recovery from electronic waste using Metallium’s Flash Joule Heating technology.
What is Flash Joule Heating and how does Metallium use it?
Flash Joule Heating (FJH) is a patented technology developed at Rice University that applies rapid electrical pulses to process e-waste feedstock, selectively recovering metals including gallium, germanium, gold, and antimony. Metallium is commercialising the technology at its Gator Point Technology Campus in Texas, targeting 8,000 tonnes per annum of feedstock throughput in Stage 1.
Why are gallium and germanium strategically important?
The United States is 100% import-dependent for gallium and heavily reliant on China for refined germanium. Both metals are critical inputs for semiconductors, radar systems, fibre optics, satellite electronics, and AI infrastructure. China imposed export licensing controls on both metals in 2023, tightening Western supply and driving price divergence from Chinese domestic benchmarks.
What is the current status of Metallium’s Texas facility?
Metallium’s Gator Point Technology Campus in Chambers County, Texas, is in active commissioning as of May 2026. The company completed a 12-hour continuous FJH reactor run on 12 May 2026. Stage-1 throughput of 8,000 tpa is targeted for Q3 2026. The company has signed feedstock supply agreements covering 50% of its Stage-1 PCB target, including a deal with Glencore.
Who is Metallium’s offtake partner for recovered gallium and germanium?
Metallium signed a 10-year offtake agreement with Indium Corporation, a major U.S. refiner of gallium, germanium, and other critical metals used in electronics and defence applications. The agreement was announced on 31 March 2026 and provides a commercial sales pathway for the metals recovered through the FJH process.
