4 Uses of Silver You Didn’t Know About
Silver is a strong and beautiful metal, and many of us love wearing sterling silver jewelry to tie together our appearances. However, did you know that silver has been mined and used for thousands of years for more than just its appeal as jewelry and adornment?
Let’s take a look at 4 uses of silver that you probably didn’t know about but might be interesting to learn about:
1. Silver Is Used in Traditional Medicine Due to Its Antimicrobial Properties
Did you know that silver has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and has long been used in traditional medicine to fight against different bacteria, fungi, infections, and viruses? Silver ions are positively charged and are the mechanisms that actually fight different infections and give silver its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
Silver has also been used in traditional wound dressings and lotions – in the form of silver sulfadiazine and silver nanoparticles – as well as in the making of medical instruments because it can prevent the spread of infections.
2. Silver Is Used in the Production of Solar Panels
Silver plays a very significant role in solar power technology – namely solar panels. It is actually used in the photovoltaic cells that are in solar panels and convert sunlight into energy. Silver power is taken and turned into a paste which is then spread onto a silicon wafer. The silver then acts as a conductor and allows storing of energy created in batteries.
As we move towards using more and more forms of sustainable energy, the popularity of solar panels is growing, and, as such, the demand for silver will increase significantly before it can taper out. Because silver is such a great conductor of energy, it has greatly improved the way solar technology functions.
3. Silver Is Used for Producing Film Images
While most photographs taken nowadays are taken digitally and printed using modern printing technology, silver was often used to produce film images. One of the most popular uses of silver was when the silver crystal was involved with creating and refining detailed images and photographs on film.
What is even more interesting is that very little silver crystal content was required to get very clear images. In fact, just one ounce of silver was enough to produce thousands of images!
4. Silver Is Used as a Cleaning Agent
Silver has been used as a cleaning agent for over a thousand years in many different parts of the world. The main reason silver is supposed to be a good cleaning agent is that it has odor-absorbing properties, along with antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
If you look at the ingredients list of your liquid detergents and washing powders, you might find silver in the list!
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Get in touch with us to learn more about the uses of silver and other precious metals exchange, as well as more information regarding investing in gold and silver.
