| abstract |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for easily recovering high-purity metallic gallium using waste materials of oxides containing gallium, particularly oxides having a garnet structure. A method of recovering metal gallium from a gallium-containing oxide raw material, wherein the oxide is powdered and mixed with carbon, the mixed powder is heated at a predetermined temperature, gallium is reduced, and the metal gallium is reduced. to recover. The heating temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature at which the free energy of formation of gallium oxide is larger than the free energy of formation of carbon monoxide, and the free energy of formation of oxides of other metals contained in the oxide is lower than the free energy of formation of carbon monoxide. The temperature should be lower than the temperature higher than the free energy. Thereby, metal gallium can be selectively reduced and recovered as metal gallium. |