If you use an iPhone, an REE called lanthanum helps make sure the screen has a vivid color pop, while neodymium and dysprosium are credited for helping the device vibrate, among other uses. In electric cars, magnets, which are used to help power the vehicle, rely heavily on rare earths such as neodymium.
Every piece and part of the iPhone stems from one of the many raw materials that are extracted from all over the world. Gold from Peru, copper from Chile, along with many other minerals from many other countries go into its production.
Neodymium, europium, terbium and other rare earth metals that were once barely heard of are now commonplace in phone touchscreens, electric vehicle motors, wind turbines and other modern technologies due to their useful magnetic and electronic properties.
Since first introducing recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11, Apple has expanded its use of the material across its devices, including in all magnets found in the latest iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and Mac models.
A typical iPhone is estimated to house around 0.034g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and less than one-thousandth of a gram of platinum.
Rare earth minerals: Technically abundant, effectively rare. With names like dysprosium, neodymium and praseodymium, rare earth elements aren't exactly household names. But the products they're used in -- including iPhones and Tesla cars -- certainly are.
An average iPhone contains around 0.034g of gold, 0.34g of silver and 0.015g of palladium. This is in addition to 1000th of a gram of platinum.
According to Apple, the new iPhone generation consists of 25% of recycled rare earth elements.
Scandium and yttrium are included in the rare-earth metals because their chemical properties are similar to those of the lanthanides. A single iPhone contains eight different rare-earth metals.
A typical iPhone is estimated to house around 0.034g of gold, 0.34g of silver, 0.015g of palladium and less than one-thousandth of a gram of platinum. It also contains the less valuable but still significant aluminium (25g) and copper (around 15g).
Copper is a vital element used to produce wiring for all kinds of electronics. It conducts electricity and heat very efficiently, and it is needed in larger amounts than any other metal for mobile phone componentry.
The current price of Neodymium is $147.80 per kg.
For bulk neodymium purchases, whether investment or industry, please contact us directly for a quotation.
The crystals in your phone or computer are the same as the ones in a quartz watch. They provide the clock speed for the processor. The MEMS are Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. That is microscopic moving parts etched out of silicon.
Apple began using stainless steel on high-end iPhones in 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X, but that may change with the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro. Apple may replace stainless steel on its top-end iPhones with titanium. This year the iPhone lineup may see a sort of breakthrough.
For the non-Pro models of the iPhone, Apple uses an aluminum frame instead of stainless steel – also just like in the Apple Watch. The matte aluminum is more resistant to minor abrasions, but is not as hard and premium as stainless steel.
The majority of rare earth minerals are mined in China because that country has the majority of mining facilities in operation.
The reserves of some rare earth minerals used in electronics, medical equipment and renewable energy could run out in less than 100 years. Rare earth minerals are naturally occurring resources, which cannot be recreated or replaced. Some are present in only very small quantities in the Earth's crust.
Rare-earth elements (REEs) are used in the components of many devices used daily in our modern society, such as: the screens of smart phones, computers, and flat panel televisions; the motors of computer drives; batteries of hybrid and electric cars; and new generation light bulbs.
"Rare-earth elements (REEs) are used as components in high technology devices, including smart phones, digital cameras, computer hard disks, fluorescent and light-emitting-diode (LED) lights, flat screen televisions, computer monitors, and electronic displays.
Benzene and n-hexane are chemicals thought to cause cancer and nerve damage, and they both have been used in the final assembly of Apple's iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Mac computers -- until now.
According to 911Metallurgist.com, each iPhone contains an average of $1.58 worth of gold, $0.36 of silver, $0.12 of copper, $0.05 of aluminum, and $0.02 of platinum.
Palladium is contained in most microprocessors and printed circuit boards. Platinum is used to make fiberglass, liquid-crystal display (LCD) glass and flat-panel displays, and cathode ray tubes.