Aesthetics and Electronics: Silver in Our Daily Lives

Silver is a soft, white, and lustrous metal that possesses the highest electrical conductivity of all elements, and the highest thermal conductivity of all metals. It occurs in pure form (native silver), as an alloy with gold and other metals, and in minerals such as argentine and chlorargyrite.

 

Silver has been valued as a precious metal, used in jewelry, timepieces, making coins, and as finishing to high-value tableware and utensils. It is also used as electrical contact to different metal bases. Its capacity to conduct electricity has made it the primary option for electrode coating.

 

Plating is the process where a metal is deposited onto another metal surface. Several methods have been formulated based on application and technicality. Electronic applications have a more sophisticated process than for aesthetic applications. Intricacy and controlled environment is required to ensure homogeneity within the coat so as not to compromise performance for electric applications while aesthetic applications have a more lenient method of application because jewelers use silver for its inherent color and value enhancement.

 

For aesthetics, jewelry and silverware have been coated, or plated with sterling silver, or standard silver, with at least 92.5% silver and at most 7.5% copper. Copper is added to harden pure silver, which is very soft and not ideal for this purpose. Silver plating is also used in protecting musical instruments like trombone, saxophone, trumpet etc. from oxidizing, and because it is very easy to clean.

 

Its main purpose is to increase wear-and-tear performance and to protect items form corrosion. Silver has high tolerance for oxidation and non-abrasive, unlike other metals, and its inherent luster gives metal finishes a higher monetary value.

 

Because silver is a very malleable metal, silversmiths obtain flexibility in handling it. Not only is silver coating being used in jewelry, its application also extends to dentistry, photography, optics, and as aforementioned, as a valuable component in making wind instruments.

 

For electronics, Silver Electro plating has been proven to be the best way of joining conductive metals. This process is used to alter the surface characteristics of a metal (e.g. finish, abrasion, corrosion resistance, etc.) or to provide enough thickness for undersized parts.

 

There are many processes in electroplating metals, and one of them is through solution dipping, where metal and silver cations and anions, are immersed into and electrolyte, where an activator is also present to initiate silver transfer to the metal.

 

The most basic way Silver Electro Plating is with brush electroplating, where the brush is saturated with metal solution and then stroke through the metal surface.

 

Applications of this process are appreciated in the metal and electronics industries. Its wear and corrosion resistance gives the base metal the ability to be exposed even in corrosive and strenuous environments. It provides stability and durability to moving parts hence lessening maintenance and servicing costs while enhancing profit. For electronics, there is no other metal with higher electrical conductivity, making it the top choice for Integrated Circuit manufacturers and almost all electronic companies.