News: Suppliers
3 September 2025
Metallium gains first SBIR contract from US DoD
Metallium Ltd of Subiaco, Western Australia says that its US subsidiary Flash Metals USA Inc off Houston, TX, USA has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) through the Defense Logistics Agency. Valued at AUS$100,000, the award will apply Metallium’s proprietary Flash Joule Heating (FJH) process to recover gallium from waste streams, including LED scrap and gallium-rich waste streams. These feedstocks also contain germanium and other valuable metals, broadening the project’s strategic impact. The work is expected to be completed within six months.
Metallium is pioneering a low-carbon, high-efficiency approach to recovering critical and precious metals from mineral concentrates and high-grade waste streams. Developed at Rice University, patented Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology enables extraction of high-value materials (including gallium, germanium, antimony, rare-earth elements, and gold) from feedstocks such as refinery scrap, e-waste and monazite. Metallium recently secured its first commercial site in Texas via Flash Metals USA, with two additional sites optioned in Massachusetts and Virginia.
“This award, although small in terms of dollar value, is significant as it represents our first funding from the US Department of Defense,” says Metallium’s managing director & CEO Michael Walshe. “By demonstrating our technology for gallium recovery, we continue to build US-based solutions that can reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and directly support national security priorities.”
The program will be executed by Flash Metals Texas as prime contractor, with Rice University’s Tour Group engaged under a resource and cost-sharing arrangement. Upon completion of this Phase I effort, Metallium and Flash Metals plan to apply immediately for Phase II funding of up to US$1m to advance pilot-scale deployment at Metallium’s existing Chambers County site in Texas, with a goal of commencing a Phase III commercial implementation to reinforce US supply chain resilience for gallium and other critical metals.
Gallium is a US-designated critical material essential for defense, semiconductors and communications. “Current supply is dominated by non-allied nations, creating national security risks,” nots Walshe. “Our project provides a domestic pathway for gallium recovery while also building infrastructure to recover additional high-value metals such as germanium.”
