What is your mobile phone made of?

There are more than 70 different chemical elements in a mobile phone. Without the rocks and minerals we extract from mines, mobile phones would be impossible.

Inside the casing we find carbon (C), hydrogen (H), magnesium (Mg) and alum (Al), among others. The casing is not just designed to look good. For example, nickel (Ni) is used as a shield to mitigate electromagnetic interference and bromine (Br) as a fire retardant.

In reality, elements do not always appear in isolation, they appear linked to other elements forming compounds, alloys or other substances. In the case of casings, magnesium and aluminium alloys are common .

The cables of the future are here

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People who grew up in the 80s would open an electronic device and find a few cables. If you open a modern mobile phone, it is very likely that you will not see a single cable. The fact is that for decades “cables” have been printed on silicon (Si) plates . The same goes for the connections, which use copper (Cu), silver (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), tantalum (Ta) and gold (Au). A fact that does not leave anyone middling: in one kilogram of mobile phone there is 100 times more gold than in one kilogram of the mineral from which gold is extracted. On the other hand, most solders are made with tin (Sn) accompanied by lead (Pb), although germanium (Ge) and bismuth (Bi) are also used.

Our precious screen

The screen is the means of interaction with the user and one of the most important aspects to take into account. Indium tin oxide is responsible for allowing you to use the screen with your fingers . It has the characteristic of being transparent and also conductive to electricity . Although there is only 0.02 g of indium in a mobile phone, it is estimated that the world’s reserves will run out in the 2030s. Will graphene be the substitute? The flexibility and resistance of graphene make it a good candidate.

We depend on rare earths irremediably ; on the screens you can find yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), terbium (Tb), praseodymium (Pr), europium (Eu), dysprosium (Dy) and gadolinium (Gd).

Magnets in our pockets

Magnets are present in mobile phones for several reasons: speakers, microphones and vibration systems . Neodymium (Nd) magnets, alloys of iron (Fe) and boron (B), are commonly used, although praseodymium (Pr) and dysprosium (Dy) magnets are also occasionally present.

This is the second time that dysprosium, a rare earth, has appeared. Ninety-five percent of the rare earths in the world are owned by China. You can imagine what this means in terms of international politics.

Batteries: our workhorse

We’ve all had problems with batteries. They wear out quickly, they break down, etc. The most common and, at the same time, the ones that have been with us the longest are lithium (Li) batteries, although they are actually made of lithium cobalt oxide and carbon in the form of graphite. They are usually covered with an aluminium shell. This is where graphene comes into play again, as it is an alternative that could come into play in the future, just like silicon batteries. Of course, there are many more candidates and it is an emerging topic of study in recent years.

The camera

We’ve already talked about the screen, which contains an oxide that can locate the touch on the screen. But what about camera glass? Obviously it’s not the same. Sapphire is usually used , which is a much harder mineral than regular glass . Hardness is the way of measuring a mineral’s resistance to being scratched. This means that sapphire glass will give us better results, as we will have sharper photos.

Electronic components

There are many electronic components in a mobile phone, and many elements are used to manufacture them. It is not our aim to study the laws that govern electronics , but we will mention some of these components.

Tantalum (Ta) is used in the manufacture of tantalum electronic capacitors, which are key components in the electronics of modern mobile devices. These capacitors are important because they allow mobile devices to charge quickly and stay charged for long periods . Additionally, tantalum is used in other electronic components, such as diodes and resistors.

Tungsten (W), which is extracted from wolframite, is used in mobile phones to make LED light filaments . These filaments are more efficient and long-lasting than pedestrian light bulbs and are hence a popular choice for lighting mobile phone screens. Tungsten is also used in other electronic module, such as electrical contacts and microprocessors, due to its high solidity and ability to sustain its properties under extreme climate.

The dark side of conflict minerals

“Conflict minerals” are minerals that are mined in areas affected by armed conflict and human rights violations, especially in developing countries . These minerals are often associated with the financing of armed groups and the exacerbation of conflicts due to their economic and strategic value in global industry.

Conflict minerals are also called 3TG, for their acronym:

Tungsten

Tin (tin in English)

Tantalum

Gold (gold in English)

Their use is required for the manufacture of all types of electronic devices, not just mobile phones. The extraction and marketing of these minerals in areas affected by conflict can directly or indirectly finance armed groups, fuelling violence and supply to the prolongation of conflicts. In addition, the exploitation of mineral resources in these regions is often carried out under dangerous and inhumane working conditions , with serious conclusion for workers and local communities.

To address this issue, various initiatives have been implemented internationally, plus regulations and standards for portrait in the mineral supply chain , as well as certification and labelling programmes that seek to ensure that traded minerals do not originate from areas affected by conflict or human rights violations. However, it remains a complex challenge due to the globalised nature of the minerals industry and the difficulty of fully tracing and controlling the supply chain.