Canadian companies dabbling in these minerals include Teck Resources Ltd., Neo Performance Materials Inc. and Northern Graphite Corp. Other firms, including Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc., have projects in development to eventually produce such materials.
Neo Performance Materials is the sole producer of gallium in North America, with the Toronto-based firm relying on recycling to retrieve the metal used in semiconductors and tiny electronics. The material is recovered in a small facility run by 35 employees just outside Canada’s most populous city and then shipped to manufacturers in the US. The firm said it has fielded more calls from customers since China announced its export ban.
“The growth and success of industries like the US semiconductor industry is going to be dependent on having a supply of gallium that supports it,” chief executive officer Rahim Suleman said in an interview. “There aren’t a lot of…
