ELEMENTS OF A SMARTPHONE

ELEMENTS COLOUR KEY: ALKALI METAL ALKALINE EARTH METAL TRANSITION METAL GROUP 13 GROUP 14 GROUP 15 GROUP 16 HALOGEN LANTHANIDE

SCREEN ELECTRONICS
49 29 47
Indium tin oxide is a mixture of Copper is used for wiring in the
In 8 indium oxide and tin oxide, used phone, whilst copper, gold and silver Cu Ag
Indium Copper Silver

50
O in a transparent film in the screen
that conducts electricity. This allows
are the major metals from which
microelectrical components are 79 73
Oxygen
Sn the screen to function as a touch
screen.
fashioned. Tantalum is the major
component of micro-capacitors.
Au Ta
Tin Gold Tantalum

13 14 28 66 59
The glass used on the majority of Nickel is used in the microphone as well
Al Si smartphones is an aluminosilicate as for other electrical connections. Alloys Ni Dy Pr
Aluminium Silicon including the elements praseodymium, Nickel Dysprosium Praseodymium
glass, composed of a mix of alumina
gadolinium and neodymium are used
8 19 (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2). This glass in the magnets in the speaker and 65 60 64

O K also contains potassium ions, which

help to strengthen it.
microphone. Neodymium, terbium and Tb Nd Gd
Oxygen Potassium dysprosium are used in the vibration unit. Terbium Neodymium Gadolinium

39 57 65 14 8 51

Y La Tb A variety of Rare Earth Element

compounds are used in small
Pure silicon is used to manufacture
the chip in the phone. It is oxidised
Si O Sb
Yttrium Lanthanum Terbium Silicon Oxygen Antimony
quantities to produce the colours to produce non-conducting regions,
59 63 66 in the smartphone’s screen. Some then other elements are added in 33 15 31

Pr Eu Dy compounds are also used to reduce order to allow the chip to conduct
electricity.
As P Ga
Praseodymium Europium Dysprosium
UV light penetration into the phone. Arsenic Phosphorus Gallium

64
Tin & lead are used to solder
Gd
50 82

Gadolinium
electronics in the phone. Newer lead-
free solders use a mix of tin, copper
Sn Pb
Tin Lead
and silver.

BATTERY CASING
3 27
6 12
Li Co 8
The majority of phones use lithium ion batteries,
which are composed of lithium cobalt oxide as a
Magnesium compounds are alloyed to make
some phone cases, whilst many are made C Mg
Lithium Cobalt
O positive electrode and graphite (carbon) as the of plastics. Plastics will also include flame Carbon Magnesium
6 13 Oxygen negative electrode. Some batteries use other retardant compounds, some of which contain 35 28
C Al metals, such as manganese, in place of cobalt. bromine, whilst nickel can be included to
Br Ni
Carbon Aluminium The battery’s casing is made of aluminium. reduce electromagnetic interference.
Bromine Nickel

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