“The article is misleading from several aspects. China mostly refines the gallium and germanium as opposed to mining them. This is the case with most of the “rare” earths. They buy the ore. “
There is no such thing as “gallium ore”. Gallium is generally produced as a byproduct of refining sphalerite for zinc and bauxite for aluminum. Even in those ores, gallium is a very minor byproduct and it takes quite a bit of zinc and aluminum refining to produce any appreciable amount of gallium.
Gallium was basically unknown until 1875 and even today it has few uses.
From whom?
#18 Gallium was basically unknown until 1875 and even today it has few uses.
Shh... it is the key to warp drive.