Eliminating conflict minerals: A new standard for the assurance of conflict-free materials across the supply chain

摘要

What is a 'conflict mineral'? Per the Oxford English Dictionary, it is a mineral which is "mined in an area of armed conflict and traded illicitly to finance the fighting." For tungsten, tantalum and tin, some of the world's largest deposits of ore bodies are in very hostile nations. Perhaps without even realising it, we use these conflict minerals in everyday products, ranging from the smallest piece of jewellery to the largest cars to the increasingly-ubiquitous smartphone. In the latter case, indium tin oxide enables glass smart screens to conduct electricity, which the insulating properties of glass would typically prevent; the oxide is laid out in a thin, transparent grid pattern over the glass, acting as a capacitor storing very small electrical charges.