A complicated separation: a process for recovery of gallium from iron contaminated acidic solutions
Location
Havener Center, Meramec Gasconade Room, 1:30p-3:30pm
Start Date
4-2-2026 2:30 PM
End Date
4-2-2026 3:00 PM
Presentation Date
April 2, 2026; 2:30pm-3:pm
Description
Gallium is necessary for many of the technologies that we consider commonplace in our society. Unfortunately, gallium is not produced in the United States due to a lack of economical deposits and low concentration in processing streams. The recovery of gallium from zinc processing streams is also complicated by the presence of iron, which shares ionic properties similar gallium in acidic solutions. In determining if there is a ligand capable of the gallium-iron separation with a high selectivity factor, a novel treatment process is being explored in order to increase the separation factor. This presentation will discuss treatment and separation processes to produce a saleable gallium product from zinc processing streams with possible wider applications to gallium recovery from any acidic media.
Biography
Weston Hartzell is a Metallurgical Engineering Ph.D. candidate specializing in experimental design, materials characterization, and metallurgical process development. With a strong foundation in biochemical engineering, he brings a blend of scientific depth and interdisciplinary perspective to his work.
Weston has extensive hands on technical experience, from leading graduate level research projects and collaborating with industry partners to operating advanced CNC and water jet machining systems. Prior to academia, he spent nearly a decade in the U.S. Navy, where he managed large scale maintenance operations, supervised technical teams, and ensured safety compliance for critical submarine systems.
Driven, adaptable, and mission focused, Weston aims to apply his research and technical expertise to advancing the mining and metallurgical industries.
Meeting Name
2026 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Materials Science and Engineering
Document Type
Presentation
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved
A complicated separation: a process for recovery of gallium from iron contaminated acidic solutions
Havener Center, Meramec Gasconade Room, 1:30p-3:30pm
Gallium is necessary for many of the technologies that we consider commonplace in our society. Unfortunately, gallium is not produced in the United States due to a lack of economical deposits and low concentration in processing streams. The recovery of gallium from zinc processing streams is also complicated by the presence of iron, which shares ionic properties similar gallium in acidic solutions. In determining if there is a ligand capable of the gallium-iron separation with a high selectivity factor, a novel treatment process is being explored in order to increase the separation factor. This presentation will discuss treatment and separation processes to produce a saleable gallium product from zinc processing streams with possible wider applications to gallium recovery from any acidic media.
Comments
Advisor: Michael S. Moats, moatsm@mst.edu