Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

High-tech and green-tech uses of rare metals

By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Three photographs, Apple iPhone, turbines in green meadow, and Toyota Prius labeled with all the rare metals used in it.
Original Thumbnail Medium

Detailed Description

High-tech and green-tech uses of rare metals. A, Typical cell phones contain metals such as tantalum, platinum, palladium, gold, silver, and copper. B, Giant wind turbines often contain 2,000-kilogram magnets with up to 320 kilograms of neodymium. C, A hybrid car and the many rare earth elements required for its production. Overall figure simplified from Ore Geology Reviews; (B) photo from Wikimedia Commons; (C) adapted from EE Times, photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.