Technical silver: fields of application, properties and material cost

In the consumer market, silver is classified as a class of precious metals, but in pure form it is often widely used in industry, providing workability to various electrical appliances.

Moreover, earlier it was used in the creation of photographic equipment and mirrors, thanks to a reflective surface. But do not confuse this metal with the jewelry alloy - the difference between them is quite significant, and this is not only a question of value.

What is technical silver?

Despite the name hinting at the poor quality of the material, this term hides pure silver of 999 samples, an alloy with the addition of copper or cermet composites.

It is extracted from lead ores and often does not look very attractive.

Ligatures, added to technical silver, have a strictly defined composition. It is selected in accordance with the required field of application for changes in the chemical and physical properties of the metal and is usually designed to increase the electrical conductivity or strength of the element.

In the manufacture of jewelry used absolutely different impurities, giving the material a more attractive appearance and malleability, which also determines the lower cost of technical alloy.

Properties of metal

Technical silver has a list of physical qualities that allow it to be used in the electronics field for the manufacture of various parts. A number of these characteristics include such parameters as:

• Low melting point;
• High level of heat and electrical conductivity;
• Softness and flexibility of the material;
• Inertness (passive to aggressive reagents);
• Good light reflectance;
• Resistance to corrosion;
• Mechanical strength.

However, this jewelry alloy has a higher cost than technical silver. The price for 1 gram of such metal will rise due to expensive purification from lead, dangerous to human health due to the propensity to accumulate in the tissues of the body. However, in radio engineering, this plays a secondary role, so it does not affect the marketing of the material.

Areas of use

First of all, it should be noted that technical silver can be obtained by the method of secondary processing of equipment containing details of precious metal. In this case, after recovery from the scrap, the composition of the remelted material can not be normalized and sent to the refinery for selection, otherwise the possibility of its further use is eliminated.

Pure silver and GOST-regulated compositions are used in the following industries:

• electronics;
• Food industry (manufacturing of equipment for storage);
• Medicine and dentistry;
• Air and rocketry.

It is worth noting that technical silver (the price for 1 gram is highly dependent on the alloy) is used in almost all production areas, and the method of processing has become the main way of obtaining it.

Where there is silver

To date, to take out of the equipment and sell the silver item is entitled to any of its owners. The most valuable, from this point of view, will be the mechanisms of the old model, for example, electromagnetic starters: they contain tapes made of precious metals.

The material without impurities is found in common types of relays, thermal sensors (silver wire), SC batteries and amalgam.

In very small numbers can be found in aircraft wires and connectors.

To check the authenticity of the metal, many use a mixture of nitric acid and potassium dichromate: if the silver is present, the composition wet with the composition will turn red.

The sale of metal and its value

On the Internet or on the radio market you can sell technical silver. The price per gram varies depending on two factors:

1. The samples, i.e., the percentage content in the alloy.
2. Places of sale, because each buyer puts a value for themselves.

People who have not previously faced with the assessment of the purity of metal, it is better to turn to the services of professionals or to understand on the spot. However, the first option will provide greater confidence in the correctness of the exposed value and reduce the risk of selling at a lower price.

When selling metal scrap, cutlery or silver plated items are most popular, because they have a fairly high sample. In any case, it is much more profitable to make a sale through online auctions or thematic forums - on the Internet, there are often buyers who are ready to offer a higher price.

If you want to know how much technical silver costs, it is worthwhile to carefully study the various proposals and choose what meets their requirements. In general, the price for 1 gram is about 20 to 32 rubles; This difference is directly related to the percentage of pure precious metal in the alloy or the product that has become unusable.