What is the blood mineral coltan?
Coltan (short for columbite–tantalites and known industrially as tantalite) is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements
What is the mineral coltan used for?
Uses: Coltan is used in many electronics today around the world due to its unique electrical properties. The two man products include cell phones and laptops, though it is found in other electronics as well.
Why is it controversial to mine coltan?
In the early 21st century coltan mining was associated with human rights violations such as child labour, systematic exploitation of the population by governments or militant groups, exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazards as a result of lax environmental protection, and general safety laws and regulations.
What is another name for coltan?
Columbite-tantalite — coltan for short — is a dull metallic ore found in major quantities in the eastern areas of Congo.
How radioactive is coltan?
Activity concentrations of the naturally occurring radionuclides in samples of coltan were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry. The average values in Bq g(-1) are 10.75 +/- 5.11 for (238)U, 7.06 +/- 3.39 for (226)Ra, 1.75 +/- 0.85 for (232)Th, and 1.63 +/- 0.52 for (40)K.
What is the English name for coltan mineral?
Coltan or tantalite (short for columbite–tantalites) is a valuable mineral. It is a dull black metallic ore from which the elements niobium and tantalum are got.
What is coltan worth?
Second, the increase in global commodity prices of coltan, to $48.82 per kilo in 2022 compared to $33.7 per kilo in 2019.
Is coltan harmful to humans?
Occupational hazards include daily exposure to Radon, a radioactive substance associated with coltan, which has been linked to lung cancer.
Is coltan mining slavery?
Coltan, which is highly toxic, is also blamed for birth defects in the areaswhere it is mined. Glenn Lesak, who heads Save The Children's relief programme in Congo, estimates that between 5000 and 6000 child slaves are forced to work in the mines.
What is the connection between coltan and gorillas?
At present, the survival of the Eastern Lowland gorilla of Africa currently is critically threatened because of the worldwide demand for coltan, a key substance used in many computers and cellular telephones and which is most abundant in areas that are prime habitat for the gorillas.
Who is the largest exporter of coltan?
KIGALI, Rwanda, Dec. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rwanda is now the world's single largest exporter of tantalum mineral known as coltan and the government says that is only a small portion of the country's production capacity.
Is coltan Magnetic?
Coltan from México exhibits Magnetic and SHG properties useful for further applications in electro-optical-magneto devices.
Does Apple use coltan?
Apple believes it constitutes a “downstream” company in that Apple or its suppliers purchase cassiterite, columbite-tantalite (coltan), wolframite, gold, or their derivatives, which presently are limited to tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold related materials after processing by smelters or refiners.
Which country has the most tantalum?
Tantalum is a rare transition metal that is highly resistant to corrosion and has important applications in electronic equipment. In 2022, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's tantalum production amounted to an estimated 860 metric tons, making it the world's largest tantalum producer by far.
What are they mining in the widow?
In fact, The Widow series evolves around the tragedies in the countries of DRC and Rwanda, driven by illegal Coltan mining and smuggling, child labor and child soldiers, corrupt governments, mercenaries, and corrupt agents within humanitarian agencies and organizations.
Which country is rich in coltan?
Coltan mining is widespread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What is the color of coltan?
Coltan is known as "blue gold" because of the colour of its mineral components.
How does coltan mining affect gorillas?
The mining of coltan alters the landscape, which not only reduces viable gorilla habitat, but also allows easier access for poachers who seek to kill or capture gorillas (Redmond, 2001). Poachers can also bring and spread infectious diseases that can affect gorillas and other humans alike (Redmond, 2001).
How much is coltan worth per pound?
High quality coltan generally sells for around $50 a pound, but it has spiked to as high as $300 a pound in recent years. An estimated $150 million worth of the mineral is sold each year, analysts told ICIJ.
What is the problem with coltan in the Congo?
High market prices provoked the so-called Coltan Fever. Entire communities in the eastern DRC became involved in Coltan mining; students dropped out of schools; farmers and shepherds left their lands and livestock in favor of artisanal mining activities.
Who controls the mines in Congo?
China controls the majority of the cobalt mines in Congo, strengthening Beijing's position in the global supply chain for electric vehicles and other products.
How are prices set for coltan?
The Coltan price is derived from the percentage of Tantalum it contains thus correlates to the international price of Ta.
Is cell phone coltan a mineral?
Many cell phones and other electronic devices contain a mineral called tantalum, which comes from the ore coltan (columbite-tantalite). Tantalum is used to make tantalum capacitors, which are used in all sorts of electronic devices from phones to electric vehicle batteries.
What is happening to children in Congo?
Rape and other acts of sexual violence against children and abduction of children are also on an upward trajectory. In both 2021 and 2022, DRC had the world's highest levels of verified cases of sexual violence against children committed by armed forces and armed groups.
Why it's hard for Congo's coltan miners to abide by the law?
It is hard to police such a violent, hilly region with so few roads. Mines are reached by foot or motorbike along winding, muddy paths. For a long time those who preferred to export their coltan legally had to work with ITSCI, which held the only key to the international market.
