Gallium FAQs

Yes. Gallium is non-toxic and safe to hold with normal care. It melts at 29.8°C, so it will melt in your hand. Wash your hands after handling, don't ingest it, and keep it out of reach of small children. Keep it well away from aluminium — see below. A Safety Data Sheet is supplied with every order.

We dispatch from Perth, Western Australia within 1–3 business days and ship Australia-wide by Australia Post with tracking on every order. Shipping is $9.95 flat, and free on orders of $250 or more.

We send up to 1kg of gallium per parcel, so a larger order arrives as several parcels and they may not all land on the same day. There is no extra charge for this. We ship within Australia only.

No — this is completely normal. Gallium melts at 29.8°C, so in warm weather or after time in a delivery vehicle it will often arrive liquid inside its sealed container. Nothing has been lost and nothing is damaged. Put the sealed container in a fridge or a cool spot and it will resolidify.

Yes, permanently. Gallium diffuses into aluminium's grain boundaries and makes it crumble. That is what makes the drink-can demonstration so striking — but it also means you must keep gallium away from aluminium window frames, laptop casings, cookware, ladders and tools. The damage cannot be reversed.

Yes, with every order, as standard rather than on request. It is in Australian 16-section format and names Gallium Sales as the supplier — the document a school or university needs before a chemical can enter a prep room. Certificates of analysis are available on request for institutional buyers.

Yes. We invoice against ABN 42 883 208 403 and accept school and university purchase orders. We will issue a written quote showing our ABN, a quote number, ex-GST line pricing, freight and a validity date — the document your procurement process asks for. Contact us for a quote.

Gallium is a soft, silvery metal with atomic number 31. It is best known for its low melting point, and is used across research and education, materials science and alloying.

Gallium melts at approximately 29.76°C (85.57°F), which is why it melts in your hand. It boils at about 2204°C (3999°F), and is relatively dense at 5.91 g/cm³ — a 1kg piece is smaller than most people expect.

Gallium forms alloys with many metals and is known for its ability to wet glass and ceramics, which makes it useful in high-temperature thermometers and other specialised equipment.

Yes. Gallium alloys readily with metals including indium, tin, aluminium, gold and silver. Our GaInSn eutectic is one such alloy — it is liquid at room temperature, where pure gallium needs the warmth of your hand.

Gallium is not found in its free form in nature. It is recovered as a byproduct of aluminium and zinc production, mainly from the processing of bauxite ore and to a lesser extent from zinc mining.

Gallium's melting point makes it a memorable demonstration material for phase changes in physics and chemistry teaching. Painted onto glass it forms a mirror, and it is a common prop for the ‘disappearing spoon’ effect.

Yes — indefinitely. Melting and resolidifying gallium doesn't consume or degrade it, so the same piece can be used year after year. Keep it clean and sealed between uses.