Bismuth germanate crystal (BGO) has broad application prospects and Chinese companies occupy a leading position in the global market

Bismuth germanate crystal, referred to as BGO crystal, is a non-polar oxide crystal with the chemical formula Bi4Ge3O12. It can emit green fluorescence with a peak value of 480nm when irradiated by high-energy particles or high-energy rays (such as gamma rays and X-rays).

Bismuth germanate crystal has the advantages of non-hygroscopic, insoluble, high density, high atomic number, high scintillation efficiency, high braking force, good energy resolution, strong radiation resistance, good chemical stability, low dark conductivity, and high mechanical strength. , is an ideal scintillation crystal material suitable for high-energy physics, space science, nuclear physics, nuclear medicine, geological exploration, nonlinear optics and other fields.

Nuclear medicine is currently the largest application field of bismuth germanate crystals. In 2022, bismuth germanate crystals used in the field of nuclear medicine will account for 55% of the bismuth germanate crystal market. Benefiting from the increasing application value of nuclear medicine, the global bismuth germanate crystal market continues to expand. The global bismuth germanate crystal market size has reached US$29.575 million in 2022, a year-on-year growth of 3.3%. At the same time, as an important scintillation crystal material, bismuth germanate crystal has become the focus of research by companies in various countries. In the future, as relevant research continues to deepen, its application fields will be more extensive and the market scale will continue to expand.

According to the “2023-2028 Bismuth Germanate Crystal (BGO) Industry Market In-depth Research and Investment Prospect Forecast Analysis Report” released by the Industrial Research Center shows that bismuth germanate crystals were first produced by the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the 1980s. For a long time since then, the global bismuth germanate crystal market has been dominated by Chinese companies, and most high-energy physics The bismuth germanate crystals used in the experimental precision electromagnetic calorimeter are all from China.

my country is in a leading position in the global research and development, production and application of bismuth germanate crystals. For example, in terms of growth technology, foreign bismuth germanate crystals mainly use the traditional pull method, which has the disadvantages of difficult growth and poor economic efficiency; my country’s bismuth germanate crystals Crystal growth mainly uses the crucible descending method, which can produce larger-sized bismuth germanate crystals and has the advantages of more mature technology and higher economy. In the future, as technology continues to deepen, more advanced BGO growth technologies will emerge in China, and the bismuth germanate crystal industry has huge development potential.

Bismuth germanate crystal belongs to a class of high-performance materials. Its production generally requires high-purity raw materials, strict ratios, oxidizing atmosphere, and harsh growth environment. The technical barriers to research and development and production are relatively high. Currently, on a global scale, the companies that are developing the bismuth germanate crystal market mainly include Chinese companies such as Shanghai Silicate Research Institute, Shanghai Shuojie Crystal Materials, Shanghai Yibo Optoelectronics Technology, Nanjing Liteon Optoelectronics Technology, as well as Luxium Solutions of the United States, NIIC of Russia SB RAS, Ukrainian Amcrys, British Hilger Crystals, Czech Crytur and other international companies.

Industry analysts said that among them, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Luxium Solutions, and NIIC SB RAS are The world’s three leading companies in bismuth germanate crystals will have a combined market share of over 50% in 2022. In the future, as more companies enter the market, competition in the global bismuth germanate crystal market will become more intense.