Silver: The Versatile Precious Metal
Appearance Silver is a relatively soft, shiny metal that slowly tarnishes in air due to the formation of black silver sulfide from reactions with sulfur compounds.
Uses Silver's unique properties make it an essential material in various applications:
- Jewellery and Tableware: Sterling silver, which contains 92.5% silver with the remainder being copper or another metal, is highly valued for jewellery and silverware due to its lustrous appearance.
- Mirrors: Silver is the best-known reflector of visible light, making it ideal for mirrors, although it tarnishes over time.
- Dental Alloys and Solders: Silver is used in dental alloys, solder and brazing alloys, ensuring durability and biocompatibility.
- Electrical Contacts and Batteries: Its excellent conductivity makes silver crucial for electrical contacts and batteries. Silver paints are also used in printed circuits.
- Photography: Historically, silver bromide and iodide played a pivotal role in photography due to their light sensitivity. Despite digital advancements, silver salts remain important for high-quality image production and anti-counterfeiting measures. Light-sensitive glass, such as photochromic lenses, also relies on similar principles, darkening in bright light and becoming transparent in low light.
- Antibacterial Applications: Silver's antibacterial properties are harnessed in clothing to prevent bacteria from digesting sweat and causing odors. Silver nanoparticles are woven into the fingertips of gloves to enable touchscreen compatibility.
Natural Abundance Silver occurs naturally and in ores like argentite and chlorargyrite (horn silver). It is primarily extracted as a by-product from lead-zinc, copper, gold, and copper-nickel ores. The metal is recovered either directly from the ore or during the electrolytic refining of copper. Annually, around 20,000 tonnes of silver are produced worldwide.
Contact Us For more information or inquiries about our silver products, please contact us:
Best Global Corporation Limited
At Best Global Corporation Limited, we are dedicated to providing high-quality silver and exceptional customer service. Whether you need silver for industrial, technological, or decorative purposes, we are your trusted partner in precious metals.
