
Rare As Platinum: Utah Producing Critical Element for World
Critical Element for Future Energy
According to scientists, Tellurium is an element that is fairly common in space but rare on earth. It is said it burned off as a gas in the formation of the earth and now it is more rare than gold.
Tellurium is a semiconductor that is needed when producing solar panels. Up to now, China was the main producer of tellurium in the world, and it wasn’t a lot. That is changing thanks to a mining operation in Utah.
The Kennecott Copper Mine near Salt Lake has produced loads of copper over the years. It turns out there is this rare element there as well. It isn’t a new discovery, but Rio Tinto, who owns the mine, has recently discovered a way to refine tellurium from the sludge.
This is having a big impact on the U.S.
Considered a Critical Mineral by the Government, increasing the availability of tellurium will bring down costs and make it possible to build more solar facilities. It will also lower the dependence of the United States on China in this area.
Solar panels can be made from other elements, but tellurium makes it possible to produce them for less with the benefit of panels that are more flexible. This makes this element even more important as more people will be able to afford to put solar on their home.
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There are other uses for tellurium in medicine and space exploration. This will mean good things for Utah as Rio Tinto produces tellurium and employs people in our state. Expect the production of tellurium to increase and become more important for Utah in the future.