TITLE
Type and Origin of the Gallium Deposits in Mainland China
AUTHOR(S)
Jian Zhao Yin
ABSTRACT
With the continuous development of science and technology and the progress of human society, the important roles of more and more rare metals are being discovered. Gallium, the subject of this paper, is one of many rare metals. It is not only listed as one of the critical/strategic metals by an increasing number of countries, but also receives increasing attention and importance. China is one of the most important producers of many rare metals and rare earth elements. However, due to geopolitical factors and other influences, the world’s understanding of China’s rare metals is limited or incomplete. Based on a summary of previous work by many other geologists, this paper classifies the known genetic and industrial types of gallium in China, lists representative deposits of each type and their geological characteristics, and preliminarily discusses their mineralization mechanisms. Gallium deposits can be divided into two main industrial categories: independent and associated/symbiotic. Currently, all human exploitation and utilization is of the latter; no independent gallium deposit has been discovered globally. Known associated and/or symbiotic gallium deposits cover two main genetic types: primary and secondary, endogenous and exogenous. Endogenous gallium deposits are
closely related to igneous activity and metamorphism, while exogenous gallium deposits are related to sedimentation and volcanic activity. Whether endogenous or exogenous, primary or secondary gallium deposits, they are not clearly distinct; rather, they exist as mixed and/or combined, or transitional, co- and/or associated gallium deposits. That is, both endogenous and exogenous processes jointly contribute to the formation of the same gallium deposit. For example, after sedimentary compaction of secondary gallium
deposits, and/or after preliminary enrichment in gallium-bearing coal seams, further enrichment occurs through endogenous metamorphism, forming mineable co- and/or associated gallium deposits. Clearly, the cumulative and/or combined effects of multiple mineralization processes more easily lead to the formation of economically valuable gallium deposits.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.62252/NSS.2026.1037
PAGES: 662-675
How to cite this article
Yin, J. Z. 2026. Type and origin of the gallium deposits in Mainland China. Naturalis Scientias, 3: 662-675. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62252/NSS.2026.1037. www.naturalisscientias.com.