Facts About Gold

Some of the first discoveries of metallurgy relate to the properties of gold

, which have become known to rich people and commoners alike. What is it that made gold so special in human history that pharaohs hoarded it in immense treasures and that even modern times have not tarnished its image, but added to its usefulness and beauty? Here are some facts based on which some answers may be found to this question.

For one, gold is indestructible, a fact which cannot be said about many other metals. By indestructible I am not referring to the toughness that iron or steel have. Actually, in this respect gold is very malleable and can be hammered in sheets so thin that leave the light pass right through. But I do refer to the fact that it is chemically immune, that it does not oxidize in contact with water and air and that cannot be attacked by even the strongest acids. The few chemical interactions that gold is part of are mostly combinations with other metals - such as silver, copper, zinc, nickel, platinum or iron - to produce alloys and the fact that it dissolves in mercury.

One other property that added to the usefulness of gold is its excellent ability to conduct electricity. This makes gold perfect for use in the electronic industry, where resistance to strong temperature variations and the corrosion-resilience of gold-based electronic components proved invaluable. Printed circuits boards using gold-based components are among the highest quality in the industry and can be found in the computers, DVD players and TV sets of the most important consumer electronic brands.

Medicine is one other field where gold has proved invaluable. In dentistry it has been used for centuries for producing false teeth, while in surgery it is employed in the production of instruments, due to its low reactivity and benign effect on the human body. Recent medicine has used gold in successful attempts to limit the development of prostate cancer in men.

Aeronautics is another industry which benefits the qualities of gold, which has excellent shielding properties against infrared radiation. As such, vital parts of space shuttles, where heat-sensitive components are hosted, are coated with a 33% purity gold alloy which blocks solar radiation. Spacesuits are protected in the same way against excessive heat during operations which require cosmonauts to go outside their ships.

by: Paul James Harrison.

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