Silver is a beautiful and precious metal. Silver is one of the most conductive metals. In addition to being an excellent conductor of electricity, silver can also transfer heat well. Most of the applications of silver are related to its decorative capacity. Although the use of electrical conductivity of silver is widespread, due to the high price of this metal, it is limited to certain industries such as the manufacturing of advanced circuit boards. Silver has been known to mankind since the distant past and has been used mostly as currency or decorative object. Even today, silver retains its role as an expensive commodity and is widely used in jewelry industry. In this article, after a brief explanation about silver and its mining, we intend to discuss its applications in industry and commerce.
?How is silver extracted
Extraction of silver from its mines requires precise and delicate technologies because this metal is usually found in combination with other metals. The extraction of silver from its ore requires a different method depending on the type of stone and its quality. As mentioned, silver is usually found in combination with other metals, including zinc, gold, lead and nickel. Mexico is the largest producer of silver in the world with the production of more than five thousand tons of silver per year. Silver is extracted and recycled in different ways. For example, nitric acid is used to recycle it from batteries. Silver ore extraction is usually possible through blasting in the mine. After the explosion, the minerals are transported to the surface by machines so that processing operations can be started. To process the silver ore, it is crushed as much as possible so that the chemicals added to it allow the reaction and extraction of silver.
?What are the uses of silver in industry and business
Silver has various industrial uses. Due to the malleability of silver, it can be transformed into desired shapes. Because of its malleability as well as its beauty, silver has been used as a commodity and an ornamental object for thousands of years. On the other hand, silver is the most conductive material for transferring electricity and heat. For this reason, it can be used in the electronics industry.
Today, silver is used for soldering and brazing, as well as making watch batteries (silver oxide batteries), dentistry, making mirrors, LED lamps, medicine, nuclear power plants, analog photography, etc.
Photography: In the past, silver was most used in the form of nitrate in making light-sensitive halides. The most use of silver in photography goes back to 1999. After that, with the advent and development of digital photography, the use of this material in the photography industry has gradually decreased. However, silver nitrate is still used for medical purposes such as X-ray imaging.
Energy industry: Silver’s sensitivity to light has made it a very suitable material for storing solar energy. Silver in solar cells absorbs light and eventually this absorbed energy can be converted into electricity. In recent years, with the progress of solar panels, their prices have decreased, and for this reason, the demand for them is increasing.
Medicine: Among the elements, silver has the most antibacterial power, and at the same time, it does not pose any danger to the environment and body cells. The reason for this is that silver disrupts the communication necessary for the growth and development of bacteria on the surface of the membrane. As a result, silver eventually leads to the death of bacteria. But human and animal body cells have a thicker membrane, so they are not damaged.
Jewelry making: Certainly, the most obvious application of silver is its use in jewelry making. Silver is very shiny and creates a beautiful surface. On the other hand, silver metal is very malleable and soft. Therefore, the jeweler can create very beautiful shapes with it. Several tons of silver are used in the jewelry industry every year.
Decorative items: Silver is also used to make decorative items and luxury household items. Many wealthy people are interested in buying things made of silver because of its beauty and luxury.
Electronics Industry: As mentioned before, silver is one of the best electrical conductors. For this reason, it is often used to make electrical circuit boards, electrical switches and TV screens. Switches made of silver, which only need a small touch to be activated, are used in making TV buttons, children’s toys, and computer keyboards. These switches are very durable and can withstand thousands of presses. Silver is also used in making electronic circuits used in mobile phones or computer hardware.
:Last word
Silver is a very valuable metal that has been used as currency by humans throughout history. In recent years, silver has grown value more than gold, as a result, many investors try to use silver for investment. The average annual production of silver has been about twenty thousand tons, which is five times that of gold. Since silver is resistant to oxidation, it can be maintained easily. Finally, silver has many uses in industries.
