Imagining a world without cell phones, sometimes, can seem to be very attractive. But reality and practicality state otherwise: the device has become essential to modern life, as well as the nickel so that it works as today.

Nickel in chemical form or in alloy is an essential battery element. It enables lead-free welding, and it also provides protection against emissions, or, inversely, preventing external electromagnetic interferences. Coatings – several containing nickel – make possible every quick or pressure-sensitive motions.

See here where is the nickel in your cell phone:

1 – Lithium Battery – it contains nickel in its composition;

2 – Antenna (in older models) – it has a metallic alloy that contains nickel;

3 – Protection against electromagnetic interface – nickel painting or copper board with nickel overlapping; it also has a case comprised by nickel-plated carbon fibers;

4 – Each chip connection wire – with nickel coating;

5 Each chip diffusion barrier and board – lead-free weld cannot be executed without nickel immersion gold cladding without electricity;

6 – Microphone – it contains galvanized nickel;

7 – Circuit board, SIM card – copper nickel board for protection against oxidation;

8 – Ceramic capacitor – it has nickel in electrodes, interconnections;

9 – Electronics is performed almost entirely by complex coating stacks that have nickel among their elements;

10 – Decorative coatings – paint and electrolytic nickel for plastic coating;

11 – Compliant polymer coatings to protect from water and inhibit tin marks originated from welding process.