There was and is certainly a lot of buzz around Apple’s recently announced iPhone6 and its Apple Watch. Both of these products only confirm our underlying prognosis of Rare Metals Matter… especially in innovative hi-tech and wearable technologies.
Some folks are rising above (actually going behind) the buzz and looking at what makes these products work. The Washington Post’s Speaking of Science blog, and Compound Interest, a chemistry enthusiast blog, took a look at the the hidden chemical elements (and a bit of process) that actually make your iPhone work.
As noted by Compound Interest, “Just looking at it, you might dismiss it as just a slab of metal and glass, with a dose of magic inside. But our iPhones are actually portable chemistry labs, and there are an incredible number of complex chemical functions happening underneath the glass and metal shell that keep your iPhone ringing.”
We know that batteries charge and discharge thanks to chemical reactions happening inside the lithium-ion battery. We’ve also described here on Rare Metals Matter that a smartphone screen is much more complicated than just a piece of glass. Elements like praseodymium, terbium, yttrium and gadolinium help produce vibrant colouration. Meanwhile, indium, tin and oxygen form a transparent film on the screen, allowing it to conduct electricity. It’s the electricity from your skin that allows you to interact with touch displays (which is why many gloves make touchscreen use impossible (but conductive thread can fix that issue). And in the iPhone 6, displays boast “ion-strengthened glass,” — a chemical miracle that keeps your car keys from scratching the screen.
Sourced from Cult of Mac
Rachel Feltman’s Washington Post blog piece also includes a link to a great three minute video, from the American Chemical Society, where you can learn about some of the chemical reactions that keep you happily texting. Compound Interest’s article includes a great accompanying infographic (a full size version of the illustration above).
So call or text your friends and tell them that “Rare Metals Matter”…
Until soon… Ian
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