Recently, there has been a stir in Europe and America regarding China's announcement of restrictions on the export of germanium and gallium. However, according to official statements, we still have sufficient resources. Compared to gold, there is another metal that is more precious, which is indium. Indium is a key material in many advanced technological products, from mobile phone screens to advanced semiconductors, ubiquitous and has become the ace in China's foreign trade.
The magical indium element
Indium is the 49th metallic element in the periodic table, with a crustal content of only 1 × 10 ^ (-5)%. Due to the rarity and scattered distribution of indium ore, the known global reserves of indium are only 11000 tons. Unlike traditional rare metals, although indium is scarce in quantity, it plays a crucial role in modern industry, surpassing gold in value.
Indium is a versatile metal with unparalleled superior performance in modern industrial fields. It has good ductility and can almost stretch and shape like plastic; Low melting point and high boiling point make it stable in various extreme environments; Low resistance and corrosion resistance make it crucial in the electronics industry.
From aerospace engineering to electronic manufacturing, from the medical field to national defense and security, from the nuclear industry to high-tech, and even to the energy industry, indium is a key element in these fields. Indium is indispensable both as a material used in the manufacturing of spacecraft and as a key element in the latest generation of electronic products. Its existence makes our technological products more powerful, stable, and precise.
The Important Role of Indium Element
The widespread application of indium in the manufacturing of various electronic products, especially in the manufacturing process of smartphones, cannot be ignored. As the main component of ITO (indium tin oxide), indium plays an important role in liquid crystal displays and touch screen technology, especially in the manufacturing process of OLED (organic light emitting diode) screens.
OLED screens dominate the mobile phone industry due to their excellent display performance and excellent energy consumption control. High end devices such as Apple's iPhone have reached their peak in the application of OLED display technology. However, in order to achieve these eye-catching functions, indium elements are inevitably used in mobile phone manufacturing.
The importance of indium lies not only in providing excellent display effects and user experience for smartphones, but also in its cost proportion in the manufacturing process. According to incomplete statistics, indium accounts for 20% to 30% of the cost of a mobile phone. This means that the supply chain dynamics and price fluctuations of indium will have an impact on mobile phone manufacturers and end consumers.
In short, the application of indium in modern technological products, especially in the smartphone manufacturing industry, cannot be ignored. The scarcity and high cost of indium determine its crucial position in the global technology industry chain.
China's Counterattack Chip
As the world's largest reserve and producer of indium resources, China has approximately 8000 tons of indium reserves, accounting for over 60% of the global total. Although China is still in a catch-up position in the global industrial chain of many core technology fields, it holds a key position in the global mineral resource supply chain.
Although resources should be shared globally in the context of global economic integration, China cannot sit idly by as the West approaches.
Previously, germanium and gallium were considered the first batch of licenses, and China may include indium in the restricted export list at any time.
The rarity and importance of indium, as well as China's dominant position in the global indium industry, give China a certain degree of negotiation ability in this field. If this situation really occurs, it may trigger a global supply chain restructuring, and even trigger a global scale technological cold war.
Taking the Apple phone as an example, the iPhone uses a large amount of indium to manufacture high-quality touch screens. Once indium supply is interrupted or prices significantly increase, it will directly lead to an increase in iPhone manufacturing costs.
And rising costs often mean higher prices, which will affect iPhone's competitiveness in the market. If this happens, Apple will have to look for alternative supply chains or other elements to replace indium. However, no other elements have yet been found that can replace indium in touch screen manufacturing, so it's like playing cards and always stays until the end.
Summary:
Indium is a core element of modern industry and a key link in the global industrial chain. If China chooses to list indium as a restricted export material, it will not only affect Apple's iPhone, but also pose a huge challenge to the global high-tech industry. Whether China will take this step depends on whether the Western world continues to suppress China in the semiconductor industry. If they are cornered, China can only be forced to take a counterattack.