Of all the minerals, gold is probably the most useful due to its diversity of special properties. Gold conducts electricity very well, does not tarnish, melts at low temperatures, making it very easy to work, can be drawn into wire, can be hammered into thin sheets, and is alloyed with many other metals.
Gold is used in jewelry for its wonderful color and brilliant shine, but it can also be found in many products that we use in our daily lives. Laptops, phones, cameras, and many other devices use gold to connect components.
When thinking of conductors, most people envision copper, probably because it is the metal that is commonly used. Silver is actually the best conductor, followed by gold. Silver, however, tarnishes quickly when it comes into contact with air. Copper is cheaper than precious metals, but it is also much slower to transport electrons. In the world of computing and communications, speed is more important than cost, which is why the use of gold has become a standard.
The beneficial material properties of gold include excellent corrosion resistance, ease of workmanship, and high thermal and electrical conductivity. Under conditions where most other metals tarnish or corrode, gold remains inert and extremely durable.
For electronic applications, the resistance of gold to environmental effects is perhaps its most important property, as it ensures that the technical performance of gold wires or gold plating remains essentially unchanged over time.
In general, the more sophisticated the equipment and the greater the need for reliability, the greater the need to exploit the advantages of gold as a material. This means that in telecommunications, computers, automotive electronics, and defense systems where security is critical, gold is essential. The importance of high quality and reliable performance justifies the high cost.
The many qualities of gold make it the metal of choice for a wide variety of industries.
Electronic parts
Electronic components made with gold are highly reliable. Gold is used in connectors, switch and relay contacts, solder joints, patch cables, and connection strips.
The edge connectors used to mount microprocessors and memory chips on the motherboard and the male and female connectors used to connect cables contain gold. The gold in these components is generally galvanized onto other metals and alloyed with small amounts of nickel or cobalt to increase durability.
In phones, most of the gold is on the SIM card, the main board, and the smaller components on the back of the LCD screen.
odontology
Gold is used for fillings, crowns, bridges, and braces. Gold is a biocompatible metal, which means that it can get in contact with a person’s body and not cause harm to health. It was used much more generously in dentistry until the late 1970s. The sharp rise in gold prices at that time motivated the development of substitute materials. However, the amount of gold used in dentistry is starting to increase again. Part of the motivation for this comes from the concern that less inert metals may have an adverse effect on long-term health.
Aerospace
Many parts of each spacecraft are equipped with a gold-coated polyester film. This film reflects infrared radiation and helps stabilize the spacecraft’s temperature. Without this coating, the dark-colored parts of the spacecraft would absorb significant amounts of heat.
Gold is also used as a lubricant between mechanical parts. In the vacuum of space, organic lubricants would volatilize and be decomposed by intense radiation beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Gold has very low shear strength, and a thin film of gold between critical moving parts serves as a lubricant – gold molecules slide past each other under frictional forces and that provides a lubricating action.
The helmet visor of an astronaut’s spacesuit is covered with a very thin film of gold. This thin film reflects much of the intense solar radiation from space, protecting the astronaut’s eyes and skin.
Glass manufacturing
Gold has many uses in the production of glass. The most basic use in glass making is as a pigment. A small amount of gold, if suspended in the glass when annealed, will produce a rich ruby color.
Gold is also used to make specialty glass for buildings and climate-controlled display cabinets. A small amount of gold scattered within the glass or coated on the surface of the glass will reflect solar radiation to the outside, helping buildings stay cool in the summer and reflect internal heat inward, helping them. to stay warm in the winter.
How to refine gold from scrap
So how much precious metal do you have collecting dust, and more importantly, what is the best way to tap into the potential gold mine at your fingertips?
Electronic products are one of the biggest users of gold. There are a lot of outdated electronics with televisions, computers, and phones that have a lifespan of 5 years or less.
The key is to remember that with the massive proliferation of electronic devices also comes the massive accumulation of electronic waste. They are electronic waste that can easily end up as a huge burden on the environment if each unit is not disposed of properly. Right now, more than 80 percent of e-waste ends up in landfills, making it a pretty serious environmental problem.
In addition to this, most of the time, gold is linked to many other dangerous chemicals, so it is always a good idea to ask a professional precious metal refiner for help.
The key ingredient to maximizing the obvious potential of e-waste is proper recycling and extraction. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, “Experts estimate that recycling 1 million cell phones can recover about 50 lbs. (24 kg) of gold, 550 lbs. (250 kg) of silver, 20 lbs. (9 kg) of palladium and more than 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) of copper. “
Many companies don’t realize that they can put scrap gold to their advantage, and all they need is a specialized precious metal refinery to take care of this on their behalf and make sure they get the best possible price for their materials. beautiful. .
It is important that manufacturers are aware of their process procedures that can generate recyclable precious metal scrap.