Domestic Sourcing or Recycling of Gallium for various Military Applications

OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Advanced Materials OBJECTIVE: The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) seeks to provide responsive, best value supplies of related materials consistently to our Department of Defense (DoD) customers and other DoD stakeholders. DLA continually investigates a variety of critical minerals for more efficient means of their production, opportunities for recycling, and more competitive domestic supply chains which would lead to higher levels of innovation in current and future systems combined with benefits to other commercial and government technology applications. DLA is looking for domestic capability to produce raw materials for gallium-based devices used in various military applications. The end goal of the project would be for the development of domestic suppliers that would produce gallium oxide and/or metal. New and novel ideas that would allow for competitive pricing with imported raw materials will have preference. Ideally, the production process would be modular and scalable. Proposed efforts funded under this topic may encompass diverse feedstock and processing at any level that will result in increasing production capacity, affordability, and supply chain resiliency. Solutions that promote a domestic circular economy around gallium are encouraged. Research and Development (R&D) efforts selected under this topic shall demonstrate and involve a degree of risk where the technical feasibility of the proposed work has not been fully established. Further, proposed efforts must be judged to be at a Technology and/or Manufacturing Readiness Level (TRL/MRL) 6 or less, but greater than TRL/MRL 3 to receive funding consideration. TRL 3. (Analytical and Experimental Critical Function and/or Characteristic Proof of Concept) TRL 6. (System/Subsystem Model or Prototype Demonstration in a Relevant Environment) DESCRIPTION: DLA is looking for domestic capabilities to recycle and produce both gallium metal and oxide for defense applications. Novel techniques that increase domestic availability and supply chain resiliency of gallium will have preference. The ideal production process will be both modular and easily scalable. Respondents must be ITAR-certified to qualify for submission of a proposal and receive any subsequent data for this project. PROJECT DURATION and COST: Proposals exceeding these limits will not be evaluated. PHASE I: Not to exceed a duration of 12 months and cost of $100,000. PHASE II: Not to exceed a duration of 18 months and cost of $1,000,000. PHASE I: Phase I will deliver a proof-of-concept demonstration of a high efficiency gallium extraction or recycling method. A technology development and commercialization roadmap will be produced along with a preliminary technoeconomic analysis. An alignment or collaboration with a relevant DoD Component organization/supplier (e.g., DoD lab, defense system program office or prime contractor) and one or more relevant DoD weapon system supply chain participants or other suitable organization is highly desirable. PHASE II: Phase II will consist of establishing a pilot scale process to produce gallium oxide and/or metal. Produced materials will be characterized for purity, phase, and other relevant properties. Input materials will be required to be sourced domestically. (Domestically available waste streams recycled to extract gallium may be considered a domestic source, regardless of origin.) A business case will be generated using both DoD and commercial markets. Collaboration with a relevant DoD Component organization/supplier (e.g., DoD lab and/or prime contractor) and one or more relevant DoD weapon system supply chain participants or other suitable organization is highly desirable. Performers will identify commercial benefit or application opportunities of the innovative processes should be developed with the intent to readily transition to production in support of DoD and its supply chains. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: At this point, no specific funding is associated with Phase III. Relationships developed and progress made in Phase I and Phase II projects should result in the ability to produce to DoD orders and organic growth of business from there. REFERENCES: 1. Critical Materials Assessment 2023, U.S. Department of Energy, https://doi.org/10.2172/1998242 2. Nedal T. Nassar and Steven M. Fortier, Methodology and Technical Input for the 2021 Review and Revision of the U.S. Critical Minerals List, Open-File Report 2021-1045 (Reston, VA: 2021, USGS), https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20211045. 3. Sydney J. Freedberg Jr., LTAMDS: Raytheon to Build Linchpin of Army Air & Missile Defense, Breaking Defense, October 17, 2019, https://breakingdefense.com/2019/10/ltamds-raytheon-to-build-linchpinof-army-air-missile-defense/ . 4. DARPA Selects Northrop Grumman to Develop Gallium Nitride Components for Future Military Space Communication and Radar Systems, Northrop Grumman, March 8, 2005, https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/darpa-selects-northrop-grumman-to-develop-gallium-nitride-components-for-future-military-space-communication-and-radar-systems. 5. Turning Point in RF GaN Patenting over Last 2 Years, Semiconductor Today 14, no. 9 (November/ December 2020), https://www.semiconductor-today.com/features/PDF/semiconductor-today-november-december-2020-Turning-point.pdf . KEYWORDS: Gallium, gallium oxide, extraction, recycling, domestic supply chain