Production of raw materials. Extraction or production of Coltan raw materials of all kinds is widespread, whether by primary industrial mining, artisanal mining, as a secondary mineral or as a byproduct. Brazil is currently the major producer. Significant quantities are also produced in China, the DR Congo, Russia and Rwanda.

 — For example, major commodity price peaks were the drivers of artisanal mining rushes in the DRC, as illustrated by the expansion of artisanal coltan mining during the tantalum price boom of 2000–2001 (Usanov et al., 2013) and growing artisanal cobalt (-copper) mining during the recent cobalt price boom of 2017–2018 (Rubbers, 2019). By ...

 — Lawyers for the Congo government say that Apple has not responded to its requests over the use of conflict minerals in the iPhone and other devices — and that it …

 — The Coltan Processing Plant, a Joint Venture between AB Minerals and AMGC will reduce the flow of raw materials and a lot more value will be captured by the Coltan producing countries in the region but more esp. by the Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners by supplying directly to the plant. Coltan is one of the most important minerals in …

 — Raw materials are key building blocks in the production of the iPhone; it simply could not be made without them. Every piece and part of the iPhone stems from …

 — 3. War-torn Central Africa supplies about a fourth of the world market as production declines in Australia, the previous world leader. Most Central African coltan is considered conflict mineral because mining areas are controlled by armed factions and organized crime. It's the same in the South American jungles where Colombia, …

 — Coltan mining has destroyed much of the gorillas' natural habitat, leaving them vulnerable to poachers. The population of eastern lowland gorillas in the park plummeted from 8,000 in 1991, ...

 — Reports that major corporations such as Apple, Sony, and Samsung use cobalt sourced from so-called "artisanal" mines — small-scale mines where workers use the most basic tools — with ...

The commercial value of mined coltan is mainly determined by its tantalum content. The chapter starts with an overview of the properties and uses of tantalum, followed by a discussion of the tantalum supply chain from mine to metal. The analysis pays special attention to artisanal mining, as this is how coltan is mined in the DRC.

2. From coltan to capacitors The more valuable metal in the coltan ore is Tantalum (Ta), with demand having grown at around 5 per cent per annum since 1990. There was a spike in prices during the last phase of the dot com boom, which drew attention to coltan mining in eastern DRC (see Figure 1). Figure 1 14Average year-end prices for Tantalite

 — Cobalt is an essential raw material used by large tech companies for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, electronic devices, and electric cars. However, the DRC's valuable cobalt industry comes at a price: extraction of the mineral is linked to child labor, safety risks, environmental abuses, and corruption.

The mining, processing, and selling of coltan/Tantalum, Tungsten, and Tin involves numerous steps and intermediaries as the materials move from a raw good mined from the earth to a refined and processed commodity. ... "Op-Ed: Were the raw materials in your iPhone mined by children in inhumane conditions?" Los Angeles Times. July 23, 2017 ...

We maintain strict standards for the responsible sourcing of materials — whether primary or recycled. Since Apple doesn't directly purchase or procure primary materials, we work closely with our suppliers to uphold these standards and work with partners to improve conditions in and around mining communities.

One of those is coltan, a mineral required for cell phone production. Congo is rich in coltan. By studying this history, we can see a direct connection between the brutality of colonialism and the contemporary injustice in …

 — The company's iPhone disassembly robot, Daisy, separates batteries from other components, and enables specialty recyclers to recover cobalt and other materials, including lithium. Since 2019, Apple …

 — A 2022 European Chemical Society statement said the unsustainable usage of seven elements in smartphones (carbon, yttrium, gallium, arsenic, silver, indium and …

 — Inside the rocks from this mine are rare-earth minerals, crucial ingredients for iPhones, as well as wind turbines, hybrid cars, and night-vision goggles. Minerals …

 — Cobalt is the most expensive raw material inside a lithium-ion battery. That has long presented a challenge for the big battery suppliers — and their customers, the computer and carmakers.

 — Nada B / ShutterstockArtisanal mining process for coltan. Much of the labor is manual and conditions are harsh. It is not only adults working as artisanal miners; often, children and teenagers are ...

 — Phone and electric car batteries are made with cobalt mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cobalt Red author Siddharth Kara describes the conditions for workers as a "horror show."

 — In 2016, the Washington Post revealed that "artisanal" mines in Congo, a prime source of cobalt for Apple and other companies, …

 — As the green revolution revs up, the European Union has signed a deal with Rwanda that will ensure a supply of precious minerals needed to build clean tech like solar panels and electric vehicles.

 — To supply the future factory with its raw material, coltan, Ray Power, who heads Power Resources International and has been developing the project since 2018, is working on the construction of a mine. However, as this is not yet operational, the Kigali refinery will have to source from third parties based in the Great Lakes region.

 — Artisanal mining process for coltan. Nada B / Shutterstock. Much of the labor is manual and conditions are harsh. ... ranging from raw material extraction, to processing, ...

 — The children told us that they endured long hours – up to 12 hours a day – working at the mines hauling back-breaking loads of between 20 and 40kg for US$1-2 per day. Many had nothing to eat all day. Fourteen-year-old Paul, who began mining aged 12 and worked underground, told us he would often: "spend 24 hours down in the tunnels.

 — Introduction. Coltan mining in Central Africa and especially in the Eastern Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has often been viewed as a case for a conflict over the control of raw materials in a fragile state. 4 Although the DRC seems to advance in some key areas lately, e.g. in macro-economic management, education …

One of those is coltan, a mineral required for cell phone production. Congo is rich in coltan. By studying this history, we can see a direct connection between the brutality of colonialism and the contemporary injustice in …

JXSC mining equipment suit in the Coltan Mining Process, we provide complete mineral equipment of coltan mining process line, gold mining plant. ... Coltan ore Capacity: 100TPH Process: this plant Adopts sieving …

 — However, the mining of these materials has a lasting impression on the environment. The mining process has many negative consequences, such as (Raw Materials Used…): Destroying animal habitats where the minerals are mined from. Contributing to deforestation and pollution of the environment.

The challenge for the gorilla population and wildlife conservation is that coltan mining has wiped out gorilla habitats. Sadly, the population of Eastern lowland gorillas has declined by as much as 50% since the 1990s in the DRC.. The Democratic Republic of Congo produced 40% of the world's coltan in 2019 (The Economist, 2021) and currently accounts for 70% …