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To: Gen.Blather

Current annual production of refined germanium is led by China at 85,000 tons, while estimates place U.S. reserves near 2,500 tons. Reported production of germanium in the U.S. is limited to one site, the Apex mine in Washington county, Utah. The Apex mine produced gallium (Ga) and germanium as primary products during the mid-1980s. Since its closure, germanium recovery has been restricted to refining processes of ore concentrates and recycling of waste scrap both in and outside the U.S. (U.S. Geological Survey, 2020).

https://mrdata.usgs.gov/deposit/metadata/USGS_Germanium_US_Metadata.html


13 posted on 09/22/2023 4:50:19 PM PDT by Brown Deer
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To: Brown Deer

The US uses about 30 metric tons per year. The US recycles huge amounts of the material. See link. Although there are lots of uses for germanium recall what happened to rubber when it became unavailable. Synthetic rubber was developed. This will happen with anything that is strategic and can no longer be sourced. There are always alternatives.
Everything is driven by the price. I don’t know how much of germanium is used in solar panels but the only reason we need solar panels is the artificial green revolution...which is entirely voluntary and not needed.

https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2023/mcs2023-germanium.pdf#:~:text=The%20estimated%20value%20of%20germanium%20consumed%20in%202022%2C,%2439%20million%2C%2010%25%20more%20than%20that%20in%202021.


16 posted on 09/22/2023 5:11:41 PM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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