Penn State is getting a million-dollars to see if there is a way to use our minerals to replace foreign sources for critical pieces of equipment. The university says the grant will specifically pay for research into whether boron nitride can replace gallium in semiconductors. There is no U.S. supply of gallium, and that forces America to rely on China. Penn State has two years to see if the project is worth pursuing. The university says it intends to get to work right away.
