Tantalum, a powder compacted for use in producing passive capacitors, has been a key factor in reducing the size of the mobile phone in recent years. The expensive and rare powder is used to build these capacitors that regulate voltage at high temperatures. Demand for this tiny but sophisticated component from the likes of mobile phone giants Nokia and Motorola has pushed the price of the precious metal around 600 percent higher in less than three years, traders say. Around one third of the world's tantalum is mined by the Australian company Sons of Gwalia. But it is the printed fiber glass circuit board and the content that sits atop it that allow the phone to function.
Gold plating covers the surfaces of circuit boards and connectors.
While the cellular phone is mostly made up of plastics, it is run by several powerful computer chips. But the tantalum capacitor and other passive capacitors are also crucial. About 35 percent of them are made for mobile phone makers, according to industry experts. They are used as storage vessels, storing energy, ready for use when there is a big surge of energy to a cellular phone. These components help supply that extra kick of energy for the phone, which the battery cannot provide on its own.