Yini ezintweni zakho? Iningi lethu alicabangi nakancane ngezinto ezenza ukuphila kwanamuhla kwenzeke. Nokho ubuchwepheshe obufana namafoni ahlakaniphile, izimoto zikagesi, ama-TV amakhulu kanye nokukhiqizwa kwamandla aluhlaza kuncike ezinhlobonhlobo zezakhi zamakhemikhali abantu abaningi abangakaze bezwe ngazo. Kuze kube sekupheleni kwekhulu lama-20, eziningi zazibhekwa njengezithakazelo nje - kodwa manje sezibalulekile. Eqinisweni, umakhalekhukhwini uqukethe ngaphezu kwengxenye yesithathu yezinto ezisethebula le-periodic.

Njengoba abantu abaningi befuna ukufinyelela kulobu buchwepheshe, isidingo sezinto ezibalulekile siyakhula. Kodwa ukunikezwa kuncike ezicini zezombusazwe, ezomnotho kanye nezejiyoloji, okudala amanani aguquguqukayo kanye nezinzuzo ezinkulu ezingaba khona. Lokhu kwenza ukutshalwa kwezimali ezimayini lezi zinsimbi kube ibhizinisi eliyingozi. Ngezansi kunezibonelo ezimbalwa zezakhi esithembele kuzo ezibone ukukhuphuka kwentengo okubukhali (kanye nokuwa okuthile) eminyakeni embalwa edlule.

I-Cobalt

I-cobalt isetshenziswe amakhulu eminyaka ukwakha ingilazi eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka emangalisayo kanye nama-ceramic glazes. Namuhla kuyisici esibalulekile kuma-superalloy ezinjini zesimanje zejethi, namabhethri anika amandla amafoni ethu nezimoto zikagesi. Isidingo salezi zimoto sikhule ngokushesha eminyakeni embalwa edlule, njengoba ukubhaliswa emhlabeni wonke kuphindwe kathathu kusuka ku-200,000 ngo-2013 kuya ku-750,000 ngo-2016. Ukuthengiswa kwama-smartphone nakho kukhuphuke - ngaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingu-1.5 ngo-2017 - nakuba okokuqala ngqa ekugcineni konyaka mhlawumbe kubonisa ukuthi ezinye izimakethe manje sezigcwele.

Ngokuhambisana nesidingo sezimboni zendabuko, lokhu kusize ekukhuphuleni amanani e-cobalt ukusuka ku-£15 ikhilogremu kuya cishe ku-£70 ikhilogremu eminyakeni emithathu edlule. Ngokomlando i-Afrika ibilokhu ingumthombo omkhulu wezimbiwa ze-cobalt kodwa ukunyuka kwesidingo kanye nokukhathazeka mayelana nokuphepha kwempahla kusho ukuthi kuvulwa izimayini ezintsha kwezinye izifunda ezifana ne-US. Kodwa emfanekisweni wokuntengantenga kwezimakethe, ukwanda kokukhiqizwa kudale ukuthi amanani ehle ngo-30% ezinyangeni ezedlule.

Izakhi zomhlaba ezingavamile

“Imihlaba engavamile” iyiqembu lezakhi ezingu-17. Naphezu kwegama labo, manje sesiyazi ukuthi azikho kangako, futhi zivame ukutholakala njenge-byproduct yezimayini ezinkulu zensimbi, i-titanium noma i-uranium. Eminyakeni yamuva nje, ukukhiqizwa kwabo bekubuswa yi-China, enikeze ngaphezu kwama-95% wokuhlinzekwa komhlaba wonke.

Umhlaba ongavamile usetshenziswa ezimotweni zikagesi nasezinjinini zomoya, lapho izakhi ezimbili, i-neodymium ne-praseodymium, zibalulekile ekwenzeni omazibuthe abanamandla kumamotho kagesi namajeneretha. Ozibuthe abanjalo bayatholakala kuzo zonke izipikha zefoni namakrofoni.

Izintengo zemihlaba ehlukene engavamile ziyahlukahluka futhi zishintshashintsha kakhulu. Isibonelo, eqhutshwa ukukhula ezimotweni zikagesi namandla omoya, amanani entengo ye-neodymium oxide afinyelela inani eliphakeme ngasekupheleni kuka-2017 ku-£ 93 kilogram, kabili inani lentengo yaphakathi no-2016, ngaphambi kokubuyela emazingeni azungeze i-40% ephakeme kune-2016. Ukuguquguquka okunjalo nokungavikeleki kwe ukuhlinzeka kusho ukuthi amazwe amaningi abheka ukuthola imithombo yawo yomhlaba ongavamile noma ukuhlukanisa ukunikezwa kwawo kude neChina.

iGaliyu

I-Gallium iyisici esingavamile. Ngesimo sayo sensimbi, ingancibilika ngosuku olushisayo (ngaphezu kuka-30°C). Kodwa uma ihlanganiswe ne-arsenic ukwenza i-gallium arsenide, idala isemiconductor enamandla enesivinini esiphezulu esetshenziswa ku-micro-electronics eyenza amafoni ethu ahlakaniphe kakhulu. Nge-nitrogen (gallium nitride), isetshenziswa ekukhanyeni kwamandla aphansi (ama-LED) anombala ofanele (ama-LED ayevame ukuba bomvu noma abe luhlaza nje ngaphambi kwe-gallium nitride). Futhi, i-gallium ikhiqizwa ngokuyinhloko njengomkhiqizo wezinye izimayini zensimbi, ikakhulukazi ezensimbi ne-zinc, kodwa ngokungafani nalezo zinsimbi intengo yayo iphindeke ngaphezu kokuphindwe kabili kusukela ngo-2016 kuya ku-£315 ikhilogremu ngoMeyi 2018.

I-Indium

I-Indium ingenye yezinto zensimbi ezingavamile emhlabeni kodwa cishe ubheka ezinye zansuku zonke njengoba zonke izikrini eziyisicaba nezithintayo zithembele ongqimbeni oluncane lwe-indium tin oxide. Isici sitholakala kakhulu njengomkhiqizo wezimayini ze-zinc futhi ungase uthole kuphela igremu eyodwa ye-indium kumathani ayi-1,000 ensimbi.

Naphezu kokutholakala kwayo okungavamile, kuseyingxenye ebalulekile yemishini kagesi ngoba okwamanje azikho ezinye izindlela ezisebenzayo zokudala izikrini zokuthinta. Nokho, ososayensi bathemba ukuthi uhlobo lwekhabhoni enezinhlangothi ezimbili olwaziwa ngokuthi i-graphene lungase lunikeze ikhambi. Ngemuva kokucwiliswa okukhulu ngo-2015, intengo manje ikhuphuke ngo-50% emazingeni ka-2016-17 yafinyelela cishe ku-£350 ikhilogremu, eqhutshwa ikakhulukazi ukusetshenziswa kwayo ezikrinini eziyisicaba.

I-Tungsten

I-Tungsten ingenye yezinto ezisinda kakhulu, eziminyene kabili njengensimbi. Sasivame ukuthembela kulo ukuze sikhanyise amakhaya ethu, lapho amalambu e-incandescent esitayela sakudala esebenzisa umucu omncane we-tungsten. Kodwa nakuba izixazululo zokukhanyisa zamandla aphansi seziwaqedile wonke ama-tungsten lightbulbs, iningi lethu lisazosebenzisa i-tungsten nsuku zonke. Kanye ne-cobalt ne-neodymium, yikho okwenza amafoni ethu adlidlize. Zontathu izakhi zisetshenziswa kusisindo esincane kodwa esindayo esiphothwa injini engaphakathi kwamafoni ethu ukuze kwakheke ukudlidliza.

I-Tungsten ehlanganiswe nekhabhoni iphinde idale i-ceramic eqinile kakhulu yokusika amathuluzi asetshenziswa ekwenziweni kwezingxenye zensimbi endaweni yezindiza, ezokuvikela kanye nezimboni zezimoto. Isetshenziswa ezingxenyeni ezingagugi ekukhishweni kukawoyela negesi, ezimayini nasemishinini eyisicefe yomhubhe. I-Tungsten iphinde ingene ekwenzeni izinsimbi ezisebenza kahle.

I-Tungsten ore ingelinye lamaminerali ambalwa asanda kumbiwa e-UK, kanye nemayini ye-tungsten-tin ore ethule eduze kwase-Plymouth ephinde yavulwa ngo-2014. Imayini idonsa kanzima ngokwezimali ngenxa yokuntengantenga kwentengo yomhlaba wonke. Amanani ehla kusukela ku-2014 kuya ku-2016 kodwa abuyele kumanani okuqala ka-2014 okunikeza ithemba ngekusasa lemayini.