Germanium (Ge) refining, salvage, recovery, and reclamation.
Novotech is qualified by the United States Department of the Navy and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to reclaim germanium material, including material coated with ThF4.
Novotech is a global leader in the recycling and reclamation of germanium. We have the capability to reclaim germanium from many states and conditions, including: Broken/damaged germanium optics; Germanium optics coated with ThF4: Spent germanium sputtering targets; Solid chunks of germanium; Solar panels containing germanium; Fiber optic waste streams containing germanium; Slurry containing germanium from diamond turning, polishing, slicing, grinding, etc. (material may have a mix of material besides germanium); Waste streams from IR coating chambers; Waste from making or shaping IR glasses containing germanium; Industrial waste stream containing germanium.
Programs:
Purchase material - We purchase reclaimable germanium material from domestic and international sources.
Material Credit - We offer material credit for those who want to exchange new optics for their damaged or scraped germanium optics. This material credit is applied to new optical purchase orders. This is a perfect program for civilian and defense program managers who are looking to reduce the cost associated with repairing, replacing or sustaining their IR programs.
Dispose of material - In some cases, Novotech will dispose of material containing germanium which is too hazardous for normal reclamation. Depending on the composition of the material, Novotech may accept the material at no charge.
Our fully integrated recycling business accepts your scrap germanium and gallium waste streams. This not only relieves you of responsibility, but also creates an added revenue stream where none may previously have existed.
Novotech can receive most waste streams creating a “win-win” solution for environmental concerns of your business. Novotech can receive slurry, broken optics and components that accumulate in any fabrication facility. We also recycle evaporation grade materials from coating facilities. Novotech is also receiving many semiconductor substrates and components, which we are converting back into their original elements.
Custom Evaporation Grade Germanium (Ge)
Purity: 99.9999%
Novotech is a global supplier of evaporation grade Germanium (Ge). We support IR coating companies and the fiber optics industry with their material needs. With our in house production capabilities, we provide quick lead-times and quality material at a competitive price. Novotech manufactures both standard evaporation sizes and custom sizes on request.
Standard
Evaporation
Grade
Germanium
<100 MESH
<1mm
1-4mm
3-6mm
3-6mm Linear
3-9mm
3-12mm
5-10mm
Other sizes available upon request
Recycling Germanium
Environmental concerns of your business
Our fully integrated recycling business accepts your scrap germanium and gallium waste streams. This not only relieves you of the responsibility, but also creates an added revenue stream where none may previously have existed. Novotech can receive most waste streams creating a “win-win” solution for environmental concerns of your business. Novotech can receive slurry, broken optics and components that accumulate in any fabrication facility. We also recycle evaporation grade materials from coating facilities. Novotech can convert semiconductor substrates and components back into the original elements.
Zone-Refined Germanium
Complementary operations
Zone-refined germanium is available in trapezoidal bars with a height of approximately 1.10 inches and a width (narrowest dimension) of 1.125 inches, weighing roughly 120-125 grams per inch. Purity approaches 99.99999% (with electronic interpretations).
Complementary operations involving Germanium (Ge) salvage, recovery, and reclamation of spent optics, metal scraps, slurries, military windows. Ge mterial is graded in-house and contracted out for refining into: Germanium Dioxide powder Germanium Zone Refined and other forms of Germanium. Novotech can supply germanium for optical and electronic applications in single (monocrystalline) or polycrystalline form. Ge can also be supplied as germanium dioxide, which can be used as a catalyst for PET plastics or as a nutrition supplement.
Demil of optical systems
Novotech has been qualified by the United States Department of the Navy, and the Defense Contract Managemen Agency (DCMA) to reclaim germanium material, including material coated with ThF4.
Novotech will demilitarize optical systems containing germanium optics. We provide certifications of destruction according to the requirements of the demilitarization code. Among the units which we demilitarize:
Forward looking infrared (FLIR) system;
Fire Control systems;
Thermal binoculars and monocular;
Thermal night vision units;
Driver’s enhancement units;
Pilot vision enhancement units;
Commanders enhance viewing systems;
and many more.
Government Furnished Material (GFM) Credit Program – For program managers who are looking to reduce the cost associated with repairing, replacing or sustaining IR programs, GFM Credit may be just the option that you need. Novotech will provide you with new optics in exchange for your damaged germanium optics based on an agreed material credit. Give us your unusable scrap material and we will provide new optics of your choice.