# Germanium

A zinc and coal by-product used in fibre optics, infrared lenses and space solar cells, whose price doubled under Chinese export curbs.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/

Tech & minor metals · No. 39

- EU strategic
- EU critical 2023
- US critical 2025
- India critical 2023
- HHI 8,726 · highly concentrated
 Tech & minor metals · Foundation · Matter

The first transistor, built in 1947, used germanium; today China supplies 93% and its price roughly doubled in 2025.

Chart: Illustration: Germanium

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Germanium is never mined for itself. Zinc smelters catch it in their residues and some producers recover it from coal ash; world output was about 150 t in 2024.

##### Three things to know

1. Germanium lets infrared light through, so thermal-imaging cameras use germanium lenses, and its dioxide raises the refractive index of optical-fibre cores.
2. World output rose from 96 t in 2020 to 163 t in 2023, then slipped to 150 t in 2024.
3. It shows three warning signs at once: by-product supply, concentrated production and minimal end-of-life recycling, so the EU, US and India all list it.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Zinc ore, coal**Trace germanium in sphalerite and lignite
2. 2 **Residue or ash**Caught at zinc smelters or from ash
3. 3 **Concentrate**Germanium-rich residues upgraded
4. 4 **Chlorination**Turned into germanium tetrachloride
5. 5 **Dioxide and metal**Refined to 5N metal and beyond
6. 6 **Products**Fibre preforms, infrared lenses, wafers
 Covered in [What makes something a commodityCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/what-is-a-commodity/)[Supply, demand and the cost curveCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/supply-demand-costs/)[How commodities moveCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/how-commodities-move/)[Criticality and geopoliticsCommodities](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/commodities/criticality-and-geopolitics/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/germanium/links/index.md)