subject: Uses For Silver [print this page] Silver is a chemical element, which has the symbol Ag, is naturally occurring and can be described as having the characteristics of being quite soft and ductile. In it`s pure form silver is termed `native silver`, however, it can also be found as an alloy with gold and other metals. Silver has been mined by many different processes over the years. A common method which has been developed, is the heap leach or cyanide technique. The silver ore is crushed into pieces, which makes the material porous. Lime is then added at a specific quantity to the silver ore, which produces an alkaline environment. Crushed ore is then stacked on impermeable pads and a solution of sodium cyanide is added. Silver is then recovered from heap leach solutions via several methods. A common technique used, is where fine zinc dust is used to precipitate the precious metals from the solution. The silver is filtered off, melted and made into bullion bars.
Silver has been considered to be a precious material since the ancient times and has many uses. It is believed that silver was discovered in 4,000BC and has been found in ancient tombs, located in Egypt and China.
Silver was commonly used as a form of currency, in 700 BC the Lydians (Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor) used a gold-silver alloy to produce money. Later, silver was then refined and coined in its pure form. The UK pound originally represented the value of one troy pound of sterling silver. However, silver has many uses other than currency. Silver has the highest electrical conductivity of any element. Due to this fact, it is often used in electronic products such as batteries and catalysts. It can also be used for soldering in electronic circuits and can be found in the contact points of computer keyboards. Due to the superior signal quality of silver it can also be found in high end hi-fi equipment.
Silver was also very popular in the photographic industry. Through the use of chemistry, silver produces the light sensitive salts, which can be used to develop high quality photography. However, due to the advent of digital photography, the use of silver in the industry has begun to decline. Another obvious use of silver is in the jewellery industry. Jewellery is traditionally made from sterling silver, which is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. Pure silver is too soft to be used so silversmiths will alloy silver with other metals to harden it. Due to the reflective nature and tarnish resistance of silver, it is also used in silverware such as cutlery and picture frames. Further use for silver include dental and medicinal. Hippocrates, the father of medicine wrote that silver had beneficial healing and anti-disease properties. It has been discovered that silver has a significant impact on the treatment of burns. Today sulfadiazine is used by hospitals worldwide to kill bacteria, which allows the body time to restore the area naturally. Silver has also been successfully used to grow new skin on accident victims, including the restoration of fingertips. There are other uses for silver which include helping people with allergies, eliminating harmful bacteria and in the use of sunglasses by protecting the eyes from sunlight. The uses of silver are varied and have really developed over the years. Who knows what uses of silver may be discovered in the future?
