THE TOP 9 ELEMENTS IN YOUR PHONE
We take a closer look at some the indispensable metals that a smartphone cant function without.
Nickel
Nickel is used in electrical connections, capacitors and batteries. The metal is extracted from its ores by heating and reducing processes. Indonesia is the worlds largest nickelproducer nickel producer, followed by the Philippines.
Lead
This soft, heavy, malleable and toxic metallic element is used in the solder that joins the electrical components of our smartphones. Lead is produced from mined lead ore and from recycling. The worlds top lead producer is China.
Copper
Copper is used as an electrical conductor in the circuit board. Most of this malleable, reddishbrown metal is mined or extracted as copper sulphides from large, open-pit mines. Chile is the worlds top producer of copper with at least one-third share. China is a distant second.
Silver
A soft white precious metal, silver is used in circuit boards. The metal is primarily produced as a by-product of mining copper, gold, nickel and zinc. The worlds top silver producer is Mexico. Peru, the thirdbiggest producer after China, has the worlds largest silver deposits.
Gold
Small amounts of gold are used to make the circuit board. The worlds top exporter of gold is China, followed by South Africa.
Aluminium
Used in mobile phone cases and components, aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earths crust and is mined all over the world. The worlds top aluminium producer is China, with an output around 10 times that of the next biggest producer, Russia.
Zinc
Also said to have dietary health and well-being benefits, zinc is a bluishwhite metal that is brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated. It too is used in the circuit board. The worlds top exporters of zinc are China, followed by Peru and India.
Lithium
Lithium is primarily used in the production of mobile-phone batteries.
It is mined from salt lakes and hard rock ore. The worlds top exporter of lithium is Australia, closely followed by Chile.
Cobalt
Produced by smelting, this hard, silver-white metal is used to make your rechargeable battery. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the worlds largest reserves and provides more than 50 percent of global supply.