The many uses of Silver
While gold is our main business at Waihi, we are also a significant silver producer as well. Our Waihi operation currently accounts for over 96% of New Zealand’s entire silver output. Globally, about 85% of the total silver supply comes from mining, with around 15% from recycling metal that has been used before. Silver is a soft, white, lustrous mineral with a history that dates back to at least 600BC. Traditionally used in coins, silver has found a place in modern history in photography, medicine, jewellery, water purification, mirrors, industrial applications, and more recently in complex technology and renewable energy. Today, over half of the demand for silver comes from industry, and the future demand for renewable energy sources is only expected to increase as we transition to a low carbon future. Silver’s application in advancing technology includes its use as a critical component in solar panels, circuit boards, smartphones and 5G technology, electric vehicles, batteries, and even space technologies. Silver exhibits the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any element. These properties allow for the smallest losses in power and the least heat released in circuitry. Silver also has the highest reflectivity of the visible light spectrum of any metal. The precious metal’s natural antibacterial properties see it used in medical devices such as artificial bones, bone scaffolding, catheters, ointments, and some disinfectants. Silver is readily absorbed by micro-organisms, killing them by disrupting their basic functions. The silver in dead micro-organisms is then consumed by living micro-organisms and the antibacterial cycle is repeated.