Germanium production from Kazakhstan coals: resource potential, technological solutions and prospects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51301/ejsu.2026.i4.03Keywords:
germanium, coal, Kazakhstan, critical materials, zinc metallurgy, hydrometallurgy, fly ashAbstract
Germanium (Ge) is a rare trace element belonging to the group of materials that are critical for the development of high-tech industries, including semiconductor manufacturing, optoelectronics, space technologies, infrared optics, and defense systems. This review examines global models of germanium production, including traditional extraction from zinc concentrates and the development of the coal-based route in China; it analyzes the geochemistry of germanium accumulation in promising coal basins of Kazakhstan and assesses the prospects for establishing high-purity germanium production in Kazakhstan based on coal feedstock and technogenic products of its processing in the power and metallurgical industries. The prerequisites are shown for forming a new model of germanium production in Kazakhstan, based on a combination of two sources - zinc metallurgy and germanium-bearing coals – as well as the considerable potential of brown-coal (lignite) basins, including the Turgai and Zhilanshik basins. A technological model is proposed for obtaining germanium concentrates from coal feedstock, producing germanium dioxide (GeO2), and producing high-purity metallic germanium. This approach is proposed as a basis for developing an export-oriented critical materials industry.
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