One of the rarest elements in the world is being recovered in Utah, and it’s one that some say is instrumental in meeting demand for green energy products like solar panels.
Tellurium is used in copying machines, to color ceramics and glass, and to help make durable rubber products, but its most promising use is in solar cells. Tellurium and cadmium combine to form a compound with “enhanced electrical conductivity,” so “a thin film can efficiently absorb sunlight and convert it to electricity,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).