COMPOUND
The chemical elements of a smartphone Ci INTEREST
Elements colour key: Alkali metal Alkaline earth metal Transition metal Group 13 Group 14 Group 15 Group 16 Halogen Lanthanide
SCREEN ELECTRONICS
In Touch: Indium tin oxide
Used in a transparent film over
Wiring and microelectronics
Copper is used for wiring, and for
Cu Ag
Indium
O the phone’s screen that conducts
electricity. This allows the screen to
micro-electrical components along
with gold and silver. Tantalum is
Copper Silver
Sn Au Ta
Oxygen
function as a touch screen. This is the the major component in micro-
Tin
major use of indium. capacitors. Gold Tantalum
Al Si Glass: Alumina and silica
On most phones the glass is
Microphones and vibrations
Nickel is used in the microphone and
Ni Dy Pr
Aluminium Silicon Nickel Dysprosium Praseodymium
aluminosilicate glass, a mix of for electrical connections. Rare earth
aluminium oxide and silicon dioxide. element alloys are used in magnets in
O K It also contains potassium ions which
help strengthen it.
the speaker and microphone, and the
vibration unit.
Tb Nd Gd
Oxygen Potassium Terbium Neodymium Gadolinium
Y La Tb Colours: Rare earth metals
A variety of rare earth metal-
The silicon chip
Pure silicon is used to manufacture Si O Sb
Yttrium Lanthanum Terbium Silicon Oxygen Antimony
containing compounds are used the chip, which is then oxidised to
to help to produce the colours in produce non-conducting regions.
Pr Eu Dy a smartphone’s screen. Some of
these compounds are also used to
Other elements are added to allow
the chip to conduct electricity.
As P Ga
Praseodymium Europium Dysprosium Arsenic Phosphorus Gallium
help reduce light penetration into
the phone. Many of the rare earths
Gd occur commonly in the Earth’s crust,
but often at levels too low to be
Connecting electronics
Tin and lead were used in older Sn Pb
Gadolinium
economically extracted. solders; newer, lead-free solders use Tin Lead
a mix of tin, copper and silver.
BATTERY CASING
Li Co Most phones use lithium-ion batteries, which are
composed of lithium cobalt oxide as a positive electrode
Magnesium alloy is used to make some phone cases.
Many others are made of plastics, which are carbon- C Mg
O
Lithium Cobalt Carbon Magnesium
and graphite (carbon) as the negative electrode. based. Plastics will also include flame-retardant
Sometimes other metals, such as manganese, are used compounds, some of which contain bromine, whilst
C Al Br Ni
Oxygen
in place of cobalt. The battery casing is often made of nickel can be included to reduce electromagnetic
Carbon Aluminium aluminium. interference.
Bromine Nickel
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