Uses
Gallium wets glass or porcelain and forms a brilliant mirror when it is painted on glass. It is
widely used in doping semiconductors and producing solid-state devices such as transistors.
Magnesium gallate containing divalent impurities, such as Mn+2, is finding use in commercial
ultraviolet-activated powder phosphors. Gallium arsenide is capable of converting electricity
directly into coherent light. Gallium readily alloys with most metals, and has been used as a
component in low-melting alloys.
Handling
Its toxicity appears to be of a low order, but should be handled with care until more data is
available.
Costs
The metal can be supplied in ultra pure form (99.99999+%). The cost is about $3/g.
Sources: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics and the American Chemical Society.
Last Updated: 12/19/97, CST Information Services Team
Gallium