A World of Minerals in Your Mobile Device

lithium

6.94

arsenic

74.92

gallium

69.72

platinum

195.08

indium

114.81

silicon

28.08

tungsten

183.84

tantalum

180.94

potassium

39.09

tin

118.71

silver

107.86

germanium

72.63

copper

63.54

carbon

40.07

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

http://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 ampliers.

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

60°N

60°S

80°S

160°E

120°E

80°E

40°E

0°

40°W

80°W

120°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 China

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,

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.

People’s Republic of China, hereinafter referred to as China.

China 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: [email protected]

Or visit the USGS Mineral Resources Program Web site at

http://minerals.usgs.gov

ISSN 2332-3531 (print)

ISSN 2332-354X (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/gip167