Qualities of Silver

When we think of Silver we normally think of silver plated utensils or ornaments and sometimes of silver coins. However this is only a small % of total silver consumption.

Silver has a number of properties that make it highly useful as metal with industrial applications.

Silver has the highest thermal conductivity among metals, high reflectivity and highest electrical conductivity. These properties have seen it applied in numerous uses including a coating on windows (think of those mirror glass skyscrapers popular in the 80'), in high end electrical components including silver membrane switches, and as a catalyst in a number of industrial chemical processes (for example the oxidization of ethylene gas into into ethylene oxide - the major ingredient for polyester.)

Silver also has antibacterial properties that are now being more greatly exploited, particularly given the declining effectiveness of antibiotics. Such applications have included adding silver to sports clothing where it helps prevent bacterial and fungal infections. Some air conditioner and even white goods manufacturers have started to include silver in their products to prevent bacterial and fungal growth within their products. Silver has even found its way into medical dressings where the silver inhibits bacterial growth.

30% of the worlds industrial use of silver was used in the production of photographic paper - both colour and black and white film. With the switch over to digital photography there has been a temporary reduction in demand for silver, however this is quickly being taken up by new industrial uses for silver.

One of the main problems in the use of silver as an industrial metal is that the processes tend to "consume" the silver. That is it is not available for recycle. Because silver is often used in very small quantities in individual products - it is not economically viable or even sometimes industrially possible to recycle the silver. This means that as silver is consumed their is less of it available. Many people believe this demand will exceed the ability to supply the metal driving the price up to unheard of levels, similar to the concept of "peak oil", many believe we have past "peak silver" and that long term the metal will become increasingly in greater demand whilst the amount available continues to reduce.
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