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14 20 33 73 3 19 29 32 47 50 78 Si C 31 As 49 Ta 74 Li silicon K carbon Cu Ge Ag Sn Pt lithium 28.08 40.07 Ga germanium 74.92 In 180.94 W 6.94 39.09 63.54 72.63 107.86 118.71 195.08 69.72 114.81 183.84 A of in Your Mobile Device

Mobile phones and other high-technology communications devices could not exist without 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, is mined for its aluminum content, but gallium is recovered during the aluminum production process. The images below show the 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 http://minerals.usgs.gov.

Display Electronics and Circuitry A mobile device’s glass screen is very The content of copper in a mobile device durable because glassmakers combine its far exceeds the amount of any other main ingredient, silica ( or . Copper conducts electricity and ) sand, with ceramic materials and heat and comes from the source mineral then add potassium. . Layers of indium-tin- are used to Tetrahedrite is a primary source of create transparent circuits in the display. silver. Silver-based inks on compos- Tin is also the ingredient in circuit board ite boards create electrical pathways solder, and is a primary source through a device. of tin. Silicon, very abundant in the Earth’s Gallium provides light emitting diode crust, is produced from the source min- (LED) backlighting. Bauxite is the pri- eral quartz and is the basis of integrated mary source of this commodity. circuits. is the source of indium (used is a source of arsenic, in the screen’s conductive coating) and which is used in radio frequency and germanium (used in displays and LEDs). power amplifiers. Tantalum, from the source mineral tan- talite, is added to capacitors to regulate voltage and improve the audio quality of a device. 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

Banner image courtesy of speakers, microphones, and vibration freevector-archive.com motors.

U.S. Department of the Interior General Information Product 167 U.S. Geological Survey September 2016 Leading sources of mineral commodities used in mobile devices

160°W 120°W 80°W 40°W 0° 40°E 80°E 120°E 160°E 80°N 80°N RUSSIA BELARUS Potassium Platinum-group Potassium 60°N 60°N REPUBLIC OF KOREA Indium 40°N Potassium 40°N UNITED STATES * Sand, industrial Germanium 20°N BURMA Graphite 20°N Indium MEXICO Graphite Tin Rare-earth Silver PERU elements Sand 0° Silver CONGO 0° Tin Silicon EXPLANATION Tantalum Tantalum Silver Tin Number of mineral commodities CHILE 20°S produced that are used in mobile Tungsten 20°S Lithium Tin devices, for which a country was a leading source Tantalum 1 40°S 40°S 2 to 3 ARGENTINA SOUTH Greater than 3 Lithium Platinum-group Lithium metals CHILE 60°S 60°S Leading source of Lithium mineral commodity

*People’s Republic of China 80°S 80°S

160°W 120°W 80°W 40°W 0° 40°E 80°E 120°E 160°E

Examples of mineral commodities used in mobile devices Leading global sources Mineral Where the commodities are by decreasing tonnage Mineral source(s) Applicable properties of the commodity commodity used in a mobile device in 2014 Germanium China1 Sphalerite Conducts electricity Battery, display, electronics and circuitry, and vibration components. Graphite China, India Graphite Resists heat, conducts electricity and Battery anodes. heat, resists corrosion, and has a high performance-to-weight ratio Indium China, Republic of Korea Sphalerite Transparent and conducts electricity Liquid crystal displays. Lithium Australia, Chile, Amblygonite, petalite, , Chemically reactive and has a high Battery cathodes. Argentina, China and spodumene performance-to-weight ratio Platinum-group South Africa, Russia, More than 100 different minerals Conducts electricity Circuitry, capacitors, and plating. metals Canada Potassium Canada, Russia, Belarus Langbeinite, sylvite, and sylvinite Strengthens glass Screen glass. Rare-earth China Bastnäsite, ion adsorption clays, Highly magnetic; blue, green, red, and LED phosphors, screens, speakers, elements loparite, monazite, and xenotime yellow phosphors; and optical-quality glass 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 and tetrahedrite Conducts electricity Circuitry. Tantalum Rwanda, Brazil, and Stores electrical charge well Capacitors. Congo (Kinshasa) Tin China, Indonesia, Burma, Cassiterite Transparent and conducts electricity Liquid crystal displays and circuit Peru board solder. Tungsten China and wolframite Highly dense and durable for vibrator's Vibrator. weight component 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 Phone: 703–648–6100 U.S. Geological Survey Email: [email protected] 913 National Center Or visit the USGS Mineral Resources Program Web site at ISSN 2332-3531 (print) 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive http://minerals.usgs.gov ISSN 2332-354X (online) Reston, VA 20192 Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @usgsminerals http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/gip167