The metals used in the creation of computers

by gkjohn (student)

Despite modern day computers being incredibly complex machines, capable of completing an increasingly large assortment of computations at once, computers are made of three simple materials: silicon, copper and plastics. This report will specify what exactly each material is, where the material is obtained, how the material is processed and why each material is used in the creation of computers.

The most vital component used in the manufacturing of computers is silicon. Over 90% of the Earth's crust is composed of , making silicon the “ in the 's crust” after . occurs in consisting of very pure silicon dioxide in crystalline forms including agate, , , and .

To extract and process the element silicon from the silica, it must be reduced (have the oxygen removed from it). This is accomplished by heating a mixture of silica and carbon in an electric arc furnace to a temperature in excess of 2,000°C. The carbon reacts with the oxygen in the silica to produce carbon dioxide (a by-product) and silicon (which settles in the bottom of the furnace). The silicon is then treated with oxygen to reduce any calcium and aluminum impurities. The end product of this process is a substance referred to as “metallurgical-grade silicon”, which is up to 99% pure. Metallurgical-grade silicon has the effect of strengthening and hardening to improve metals suitability and resistance to heat for specific applications. Silicon is used to make microchips and other integrated circuits within a computer due to the ability of the material to have low electrical conductivity, but at the same time have high thermal conductivity to insulate electrically - which is an important feature for use in computers.

Copper is the second most vital component used in the manufacturing of computers. Copper is ductile, a great conductor of electricity and the most versatile and durable of all metals. Copper is mined commercially in 40 countries around the world, with the largest copper deposits in North America, South America and Africa. To extract copper, the concentrated copper ore is heated with silicon dioxide (silica) and oxygen in a furnace. The copper ions in the ore are reduced to copper sulphide (which is reduced further to copper metal in the final stage). The copper sulphide produced is converted to copper with ...

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The copper is then processed by being treated to remove any remaining sulphur (trapped as bubbles of sulphur dioxide in the copper - hence blister copper) and then cast into anodes for refining using electrolysis. Electrolysis is the process “where an is passed through a liquid which conducts ”. (France, 2010) In the electrolysis process, copper is transferred from an anode (a positively charged electrode that attracts negatively charged metal ions) to the cathode (a negatively charged electrode that attracts positively charged metal ions) of an electrolytic cell.

Copper is suitable for use in the creation of computers because it can easily be shaped and formed, and its electrical conductivity is second only to silver. It is also abundant in the Earth's crust and rather inexpensive to mine and process, which makes it ideal for use in a computer's motherboard and its Central Processing Unit (CPU), as well as other associated wiring.

Plastics are some of the most ever-present substances in the modern world and are present in numerous manufactured items. In computers, plastics form the main material used for computer monitors, hardware housings, keyboards and mouse interfaces. Essentially, anything not made of metal in a computer is most likely made of some sort of plastic. Plastics are a synthetic material, which means that they are manufactured (not a natural resource). The main raw material plastics are derived from is crude oil (the unprocessed oil that comes out of the ground).

Plastics are formed when small molecules known as monomers join with other monomers to form very long molecule chains called polymers during a chemical reaction called polymerization. Plastics can be created in two different ways: injection moulding and blow moulding. With injection moulding, molten plastic is injected into a cavity which is heated and slowly moulded into shape. After the heating and manipulation into the desired shape, the product is cooled and allowed to set into a solid item. With the blow moulding method molten plastic is melted into a large tube. Air is then blown into the tube forming its shape and design. The newly formed plastic product is then cooled and allowed to set. (Practical Use of Materials – Plastics, 2011)

Plastic has significant advantages over other materials. It can be coloured, melted, shaped, squashed and made into fibres. Its properties of strength, rigidity and toughness across a wide range of temperatures make it perfect for use in computers, as is its natural impact resistance (resistance to damage/breakage).

The creation of the modern day computer can be regarded as a modern day marvel; however, this would not be so without the superiority of three basic materials that we take for granted: silicon, copper and plastic. These three basic materials that are abundant throughout Earth have allowed the human race to prosper and change the world into the technological savvy one that we reside in today.

Bibliography

Clark, J. (2005). Copper. Retrieved 11 10, 2011, from ChemGuide: http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/extraction/copper.html

Commonwealth of Australia. (2011). Copper. Retrieved 11 10, 2011, from Australian Mines Atlas: http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/education/rock_files/copper.jsp

Denker, J. (2004). How to Define Anode and Cathode. Retrieved 11 10, 2011, from Av8n: http://www.av8n.com/physics/anode-cathode.htm

France, D. C. (2010). Extractions of Metals - What is Electrolysis? Retrieved 11 12, 2011, from GSCE Science: http://www.gcsescience.com/ex3.htm

Tech-FAQ. (2011). How are Computers Made. Retrieved 11 12, 2011, from Tech-FAQ: http://www.tech-faq.com/how-are-computers-made.html

Uses of Silicon. (2011). Retrieved 11 9, 2011, from Want To Know It: http://wanttoknowit.com/uses-of-silicon/

What Materials Are Used to Make Computers? (n.d.). Retrieved 11 4, 2011, from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/list_6162960_materials-used-make-computers_.html