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Related Concept Videos

Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles01:24

Microbes and Other Elemental Cycles

Microbial activity plays a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of iron and manganese, especially at the redox gradients characteristic of stratified aquatic environments. These cycles are driven by microbial transformations between oxidized and reduced forms of the metals, allowing organisms to exploit them for metabolic energy and structural purposes.Iron Cycling Across Redox GradientsIn neutral, oxygen-rich surface waters, iron is predominantly found in its oxidized, insoluble ferric...
Properties of Transition Metals02:58

Properties of Transition Metals

Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
Metal-Ligand Bonds02:51

Metal-Ligand Bonds

The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Properties of Organometallic Compounds01:23

Properties of Organometallic Compounds

Organometallic compounds are compounds that contain a carbon–metal bond. Carbon belongs to an organyl group like alkyl, aryl, allyl, or benzyl groups. The metal can be from Group I or Group II of the periodic table, a transition metal, or a semimetal.
The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements00:57

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

OverviewElements are the smallest units of matter that cannot be broken down further by chemical processes. There are 118 known elements, but not all of these are naturally-occurring, and fewer still are essential for life. Living matter is composed primarily of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, with smaller amounts of other elements like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur. Other elements are also necessary for life but only in trace amounts.The Periodic Table Provides Information...

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Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores
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Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores

Published on: December 6, 2015

Material efficiency: rare and critical metals.

Robert U Ayres1, Laura Talens Peiró

  • 1INSEAD, 77305 Fontainebleau, France. robert.ayres@insead.edu

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|January 30, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Rare metals, essential for electronics, are often byproducts of major industrial metals. Their supply is thus linked to the production of

Area of Science:

  • Geochemistry and Materials Science
  • Economic Geology
  • Industrial Metallurgy

Background:

  • Modern electronics rely on geologically rare metals, previously of minor importance.
  • These rare metals are typically byproducts ('hitch-hikers') found in ores of major industrial metals ('attractors').

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the geological origins and functional applications of rare metals.
  • To analyze the supply chain dynamics and price implications for these critical materials.

Main Methods:

  • Tracing geological relationships between rare and major metals.
  • Analyzing functional uses and potential for substitution in electronic applications.

Main Results:

  • The output of rare metals is constrained by the production of their 'attractor' metals, limiting price-driven supply increases.

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Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals
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Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals

Published on: November 22, 2021

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Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores
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Detection and Recovery of Palladium, Gold and Cobalt Metals from the Urban Mine Using Novel Sensors/Adsorbents Designated with Nanoscale Wagon-wheel-shaped Pores

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TD-DFT Guided Advanced E-Eye Sensing Technique for On-site Quantification of Fe, Cr, F, and As in the Environmental, Biological, and Food Samples
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TD-DFT Guided Advanced E-Eye Sensing Technique for On-site Quantification of Fe, Cr, F, and As in the Environmental, Biological, and Food Samples

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Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals
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Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals

Published on: November 22, 2021

  • Certain rare metals are irreplaceable in their current high-tech applications.

    • Conclusions:

    • The interdependence of rare and major metals necessitates strategic resource management.
    • Recycling of these critical metals is crucial for future supply, despite existing challenges.