Specialty metals in electronics, and why few are recovered
Electronics also hold small amounts of metals that each do one job: tin in solder, tantalum in capacitors, tungsten in vibration motors, indium in screens, gallium in LEDs and chips, silicon in every chip, and lead in older solder and tube glass. Most are present in amounts too small to recover routinely. Tin is the exception.
This page describes industry and research processes in general. It does not describe ERI’s operations.
Why most are rarely recovered
Why most specialty metals are rarely recovered from old electronics
A 2011 United Nations Environment Programme assessment of sixty metals estimated that less than 1 percent of the gallium, indium and tantalum in discarded products is recycled worldwide, and 10 to 25 percent of the tungsten. Tin is the exception, with an estimate above 50 percent. The report explains that these metals are used in small quantities in complex products, the metal content of each product can be low, and recycling technology for them is often lacking. Much of the recycling that does occur uses manufacturing scrap, such as spent sputtering targets and broken wafers, not products at end of life.1
Tin
Tin in electronics: solder, and a metal that is recycled fairly well
Tin is almost always used as an alloy, and solder is one of its major uses, alongside tinplate, chemicals and bronze. The U.S. Geological Survey lists solders for joining pipes or electrical and electronic circuits among its uses. Unlike most specialty metals, tin is recycled fairly efficiently. A U.S. Geological Survey review reports that more than 50 percent of the tin in discarded products is recycled, and that scrap supplies between 10 and 25 percent of tin production. It attributes this to two factors: tin is used in large quantities, and it occurs in alloys in a relatively pure form that is easier to remelt and recover.2
The 14 devices here that hold tin
| Device | Where the tin sits | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit boards | Solder on every joint | A real share |
| Cordless drill | Solder on the controller board | A trace |
| E-bike | Solder on the controller board | A trace |
| Game console | Solder across the main board | A trace |
| Robot vacuum | Solder on the main board | A trace |
| Flat-screen TV | Solder on its boards | A trace |
| Hard disk drive | Solder on each board | A trace |
| Smartwatch | Solder on the main board | A trace |
| Wireless earbuds | Solder on the small boards | A trace |
| Solar panels | Coating on the copper ribbons | A trace |
| Headphones | Solder on the boards | A trace |
| Laptop | Solder on the logic board | A trace |
| Smartphone | Solder on the logic board | A trace |
| Enterprise server | Solder on every board | A trace |
Tantalum
Tantalum in electronics: very small capacitors
Tantalum is used in electronics for capacitors, components that store and release electrical energy. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the electronics industry consumes more than half of tantalum production because tantalum-based components can be made exceptionally small, and other elements cannot replace it without reducing device performance. These components are found in products such as cell phones, hearing aids and hard drives. Tantalum is also used in corrosion-resistant chemical equipment, medical implants and, as tantalum carbide, in cutting tools.3
The 5 devices here that hold tantalum
| Device | Where the tantalum sits | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Game console | Capacitors near the processor | A trace |
| Smartwatch | Capacitors on the main board | A trace |
| Circuit boards | Small high-capacity capacitors | A trace |
| Laptop | Capacitors on the logic board | A trace |
| Smartphone | Capacitors on the logic board | A trace |
Tungsten
Tungsten: mostly cutting tools, with a smaller role in electrical parts
Most tungsten is not used in electronics. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that about 60 percent of the tungsten consumed in the United States goes into cemented carbide parts for cutting and wear-resistant applications. The remainder goes into alloys and specialty steels, chemicals, and electrodes, filaments, wires and other components for electrical, electronic, heating, lighting and welding uses. Tungsten scrap is processed in the United States, but the quantity of tungsten recovered from scrap in 2025 was withheld by the agency to protect company data.4
The 2 devices here that hold tungsten
| Device | Where the tungsten sits | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch | Weight in the haptic motor | A trace |
| Smartphone | Weight in the vibration motor | A trace |
Indium
Indium in electronics: the transparent conductor in flat-panel displays
Most of the world's indium is used to make indium tin oxide, a thin coating that conducts electricity and is applied to flat-panel displays, most commonly liquid crystal displays. Indium is also used in solders and alloys, semiconductors and other electrical components. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that indium is most commonly recovered from indium tin oxide scrap, mainly in Japan and the Republic of Korea. Scrap containing indium was recycled in the United States in 2025, but the agency had no data on how much indium was recovered.5
The 4 devices here that hold indium
| Device | Where the indium sits | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-screen TV | Clear conductive coating in the panel | A trace |
| Smartwatch | Clear coating on the display | A trace |
| Laptop | Clear coating in the display | A trace |
| Smartphone | Clear coating on the touch screen | A trace |
Gallium
Gallium in electronics: chips, LEDs and laser diodes
Gallium is used as gallium arsenide and gallium nitride, compound semiconductors found in integrated circuits and in optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, photodetectors and solar cells. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that integrated circuits accounted for 73 percent of U.S. gallium consumption in 2025 and optoelectronic devices for 26 percent. On recycling, the agency reports no gallium recovered from old scrap, meaning discarded products. Gallium is recovered from new scrap generated when gallium arsenide devices are manufactured.6
The 5 devices here that hold gallium
| Device | Where the gallium sits | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Game console | Laser diode in the disc drive | A trace |
| Robot vacuum | Lidar laser and cliff-sensor LEDs | A trace |
| Flat-screen TV | LEDs of the backlight | A trace |
| Smartwatch | LEDs of the heart-rate sensor | A trace |
| Smartphone | Radio chips and flash LED | A trace |
Silicon
The 10 devices here that hold silicon
| Device | Where the silicon sits | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Solar panels | The cells under the glass | A real share |
| Game console | Processor, memory and storage chips | A trace |
| Robot vacuum | Processor and sensor chips | A trace |
| Flat-screen TV | Processor chips and panel transistors | A trace |
| Hard disk drive | Controller chips on each board | A trace |
| Smartwatch | Processor and sensor chips | A trace |
| Wireless earbuds | Audio chips and microphones | A trace |
| Headphones | Noise-canceling chips and microphones | A trace |
| Laptop | Processor, memory and storage chips | A trace |
| Smartphone | Processor, memory and camera chips | A trace |
Lead
Leaded glass in cathode-ray tubes needs controlled handling
A cathode-ray tube is the glass picture tube in older televisions and computer monitors. Its funnel glass contains lead, and for that reason the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency treats tubes sent for disposal as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Tubes and tube glass that are recycled are excluded from that classification only if specific conditions are met, and exports for recycling require notice to the agency and the consent of the receiving country. State rules may be stricter than the federal ones. The agency encourages repair and reuse first, then recycling.7
The 3 devices here that hold lead
| Device | Where the lead sits | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Hard disk drive | Solder on the oldest boards | A trace |
| Solar panels | Ribbon solder in some panels | A trace |
| Circuit boards | Tin-lead solder on older boards | A trace |
On the critical minerals list
The U.S. critical minerals list and the specialty metals on it
The U.S. critical minerals list is published by the Department of the Interior, with the U.S. Geological Survey preparing the science-based draft. Under the Energy Act of 2020, a critical mineral is one that is essential to the economic or national security of the United States, has a supply chain vulnerable to disruption, and serves an essential function in manufacturing a product. The current list, finalized in November 2025, names 60 minerals: all 50 from the 2022 list and 10 more. Tin, tantalum, tungsten, indium, gallium, silicon and lead are all on it, as are aluminum, magnesium, titanium and zinc.8
Sources
- Recycling Rates of Metals: A Status ReportUnited Nations Environment Programme, International Resource Panel (2011), Appendix F, Table F1 and accompanying text, pp. 35-37 (gallium, indium, tantalum, tungsten); Appendix D, Table D1, p. 31 (tin); main text, p. 18
- Tin, Chapter S of Critical Mineral Resources of the United States: Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply (Professional Paper 1802-S)U.S. Geological Survey (2017), Abstract, p. S1 (uses and recycling); Figure S1 (end uses); Environmental Considerations, p. S18 (reasons recycling is feasible). Solder use: USGS, Tin Statistics and Information, overview paragraph, https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/tin-statistics-and-information
- Niobium and Tantalum: Indispensable Twins (Fact Sheet 2014-3054)U.S. Geological Survey (2014), Section on uses of niobium and tantalum, p. 1, paragraph beginning "Tantalum has a unique ability to store and release energy". Capacitors named in: USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Tantalum, "Domestic Production and Use" and "Substitutes", https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-tantalum.pdf
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: TungstenU.S. Geological Survey (February 2026), Domestic Production and Use, p. 1; Recycling, p. 1
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: IndiumU.S. Geological Survey (February 2026), Domestic Production and Use, p. 1; Recycling, p. 1
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: GalliumU.S. Geological Survey (February 2026), Domestic Production and Use, p. 1; Recycling, p. 1
- Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Opening section and the section on regulation of CRTs under RCRA (40 CFR 261.4(a)(22)); export requirements paragraph
- About the 2025 List of Critical MineralsU.S. Geological Survey (November 2025), Sections describing the Energy Act definition and the list process; section "Explore the 2025 List of Critical Minerals" (the 60 minerals). Confirmed against the Federal Register notice, Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, 90 FR 50494, November 7, 2025
Reviewed