Gallium

MATERIAL OVERVIEW

Characteristics: A soft silvery-white metal, liquid at slightly above room temperature, elemental gallium is a brittle solid at lower temperatures. It may be undercooled to almost 0 °C without solidifying, and is more dense as a liquid than as a solid. Soluble in acid, alkali and slightly soluble in mercury. Reacts with most metals at high temperatures.

Beginning with its discovery in 1875, gallium was used primarily to make alloys that melt at low temperatures. Today most gallium is used in the form of gallium compounds, in the production of electronic components. Gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), and copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) are used in the production of integrated circuits, semiconductors, transistors, light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, photo detectors and solar cells. These components are important in the manufacture of high-performance computers and smartphones, and in the aerospace and telecommunications industries.

ESPI supplies pure Gallium in the form of Shot, Ingot and Rod. Express shipping in cold packaging is necessary to maintain these solid manufactured forms.