Minerals in Mobile Devices — Infographic
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Detailed Description
This infographic displays the different minerals located in mobile devices. Included within this infographic are:
- Display: Silica Sand and Bauxite
Silica Sand: 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.
Bauxite: Gallium provides light emitting diode (LED) backlighting. Bauxite is the primary source of this commodity. - Electronics: Chalcopyrite and Silicon
Chalcopyrite: 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.
Silicon: Silicon, very abundant in the Earth's crust, is produced from the source mineral quartz and is the basis of integrated circuits. - Battery: Spodumene
Spodumene and subsurface brines are the sources of lithium used in cathodes of lithium-ion batteries. - Circuitry: Wolframite and Tetrahedrite
Wolframite: Wolframite is a source of tungsten, which acts as a heat sink and provides the mass for mobile phone vibration.
Tetrahedrite: Tetrahedrite is a primary source of silver. Silver-based inks on composiste boards create electrical pathways through a device. - Speakers and Vibration: Bastnaesite
Bastnaesite is a source of rare-earth elements used to produce magnets in speakers, microphones, and vibration motors.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.