A world of minerals in your mobile device
<p>Mobile phones and other high-technology communications devices could not exist without mineral commodities. More than one-half of all components in a…
Public-domain full text preserved in the Mountain Man Mining Library. Original source: pubs.usgs.gov.
lithium As arsenic Ga gallium Pt platinum In indium Si silicon W tungsten Ta tantalum K potassium Sn tin Ag silver Ge germanium Cu copper carbon A World of Minerals in Your Mobile Device Mobile phones and other high-technology communications devices could not exist without mineral commodities. More than one-half of all components in a mobile device—including its electronics, display, battery, speakers, and more—are made from mined and semi-processed materials (mineral commodities). Some mineral commodities can be recovered as byproducts during the production and processing of other commodities. As an example, bauxite is mined for its aluminum content, but gallium is recovered during the aluminum production process. The images below show the ore minerals (sources) of some mineral commodities that are used to make components of a mobile device. On the reverse side, the map and table depict the major source countries producing some of these mineral commodities along with how these commodities are used in mobile devices. For more information on minerals, visit ://minerals.usgs.gov. Display A mobile device’s glass screen is very durable because glassmakers combine its main ingredient, silica (silicon dioxide or quartz) sand, with ceramic materials and then add potassium. Layers of indium-tin-oxide are used to create transparent circuits in the display. Tin is also the ingredient in circuit board solder, and cassiterite is a primary source of tin. Gallium provides light emitting diode (LED) backlighting. Bauxite is the pri mary source of this commodity. Sphalerite is the source of indium (used in the screen’s conductive coating) and germanium (used in displays and LEDs). Electronics and Circuitry The content of copper in a mobile device far exceeds the amount of any other metal. Copper conducts electricity and heat and comes from the source mineral chalcopyrite. Tetrahedrite is a primary source of silver. Silver-based inks on compos ite boards create electrical pathways through a device. Silicon, very abundant in the Earth’s crust, is produced from the source min eral quartz and is the basis of integrated circuits. Arsenopyrite is a source of arsenic, which is used in radio frequency and power amplifiers. Tantalum, from the source mineral tan talite, is added to capacitors to regulate voltage and improve the audio quality of a device. Wolframite is a source of tungsten, which acts as a heat sink and provides the mass for mobile phone vibration. Battery Spodumene and subsurface brines are the sources of lithium used in cathodes of lithium-ion batteries. Graphite is used for the anodes of lithium-ion batteries because of its elec trical and thermal conductivity. Speakers and Vibration Bastnaesite is a source of rare-earth elements used to produce magnets in speakers, microphones, and vibration motors. Banner image courtesy of freevector-archive.com U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey General Information Product 167 September 2016
Leading sources of mineral commodities used in mobile devices 80°N 80°N 60°N 60°N 60°S 60°S 80°S 80°S 160°E 160°E 120°E 120°E 80°E 80°E 40°E 40°E 0° 0° 40°W 40°W 80°W 80°W 120°W 120°W 160°W 160°W 40°N 40°N 20°N 20°N 0° 0° 20°S 20°S 40°S 40°S EXPLANATION 2 to 3 Greater than 3 Number of mineral commodities produced that are used in mobile devices, for which a country was a leading source Leading source of mineral commodity CHILE Lithium *People’s Republic of China CHINA* Germanium Graphite Indium Rare-earth elements Sand Silicon Silver Tin Tungsten CANADA Potassium AUSTRALIA Lithium Silver Tin PERU MEXICO Silver SOUTH AFRICA Platinum-group metals RWANDA Tantalum REPUBLIC OF KOREA Indium Potassium Platinum-group metals RUSSIA Sand, industrial UNITED STATES CHILE Lithium CONGO Tantalum BRAZIL Tantalum INDONESIA Tin INDIA Graphite ARGENTINA Lithium BELARUS Potassium BURMA Tin Examples of mineral commodities used in mobile devices Mineral commodity Leading global sources by decreasing tonnage in 2014 Mineral source(s) Applicable properties of the commodity Where the commodities are used in a mobile device Germanium China1 Sphalerite Conducts electricity Battery, display, electronics and circuitry, and vibration components. Graphite China, India Graphite Resists heat, conducts electricity and heat, resists corrosion, and has a high performance-to-weight ratio Battery anodes. Indium China, Republic of Korea Sphalerite Transparent and conducts electricity Liquid crystal displays. Lithium Australia, Chile, Argentina, China Amblygonite, petalite, lepidolite, and spodumene Chemically reactive and has a high performance-to-weight ratio Battery cathodes. Platinum-group metals South Africa, Russia, Canada More than 100 different minerals Conducts electricity Circuitry, capacitors, and plating. Potassium Canada, Russia, Belarus Langbeinite, sylvite, and sylvinite Strengthens glass Screen glass. Rare-earth elements China Bastnäsite, ion adsorption clays, loparite, monazite, and xenotime Highly magnetic; blue, green, red, and yellow phosphors; and optical-quality glass LED phosphors, screens, speakers, and vibration motors. Sand, industrial China,2 United States Silica sand Gives glass clarity Screen glass and semiconductors. Silicon China Quartz Conducts electricity Semiconductors. Silver Mexico, China, Peru Argentite and tetrahedrite Conducts electricity Circuitry. Tantalum Rwanda, Brazil, Congo (Kinshasa) Columbite and tantalite Stores electrical charge well Capacitors. Tin China, Indonesia, Burma, Peru Cassiterite Transparent and conducts electricity Liquid crystal displays and circuit board solder. Tungsten China Scheelite and wolframite Highly dense and durable for vibrator's weight component Vibrator. 1People’s Republic of China, hereinafter referred to as China. 2China is the world’s largest producer of industrial sand; however, available information is inadequate to formulate a reliable estimate of output levels. For more information, contact: Mineral Resources Program Coordinator U.S. Geological Survey 913 National Center 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, VA 20192 Phone: 703–648–6100 Email: minerals@usgs.gov Or visit the USGS Mineral Resources Program Web site at ://minerals.usgs.gov Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @usgsminerals ISSN 2332-3531 (print) ISSN 2332-354X (online) ://dx.doi.org/10.3133/gip167