This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.
The Ontario Mining Association’s info-graphic “Mining Builds a Better World,” which is available on the website www.oma.on.ca, illustrates how various minerals mined in Ontario contribute to a better world in technology, agriculture, the environment and health. With a little help from the Washington D.C.-based Silver Institute, we would like to show how some recent advances in applications of this metal indeed make our lives better.
Checking in at number 47 on the periodic table of elements sandwiched between palladium and cadmium, silver has many unique characteristics, which do support the OMA info-graphic claim. “Mining’s value is not limited solely to the resources it extracts from the ground. Did you know that minerals and metals are essential, irreplaceable components of modern technology? Mining makes countless products we use everyday possible and it is integral to the next generation technologies that will make our world greener, safer, healthier and more connected.”
How about the glass on the touchscreens of your smartphones and tablet devices? One company is now adding silver ions to this type of glass. The silver ions inhibit the growth of mold, mildew, algae and bacteria. They provide a built-in antimicrobial property. Sounds like safety and health gains.
It is envisioned that this use of silver ions in thin, high-strength glass will be used on touchscreens used by large numbers of people such as in hospitals and in the transportation and the hospitality industries. It is estimated that in 2012, the market for antimicrobial coatings was $1.5 billion and it is expected to grow. Uses for antimicrobial coatings can also be found in air conditioners, medicine, textiles and food and beverage sectors.
Silver actually interrupts a bacteria cell’s ability to survive. When bacteria cells come into contact with silver they fall apart. This is why this precious metal has medical applications in bandages that speed healing and are essential in treating burns and wounds.
How about transportation devices with an internal combustion engine? While the spark plugs in your car may be contain electrodes made of iridium, many race cars – think Formula 1 and NASCAR — run on silver spark plugs. Silver is the perhaps the best thermal and electrical conductor of any metal.
Silver produces a cleaner and more powerful spark and leads to enhanced performance, better gas mileage and easier starting due to lower ignition voltage requirements. While racing teams will embrace these advantages including more miles between pit stops, silver spark plugs are more expensive than their iridium counterparts and need to be changed more often. Although silver spark plugs may not be common in family vehicles in 2014, the automobile industry has a long record of adapting improvements tested on the track to vehicles coming off an assembly line.
On a different path, silver regularly finds its way into food processing applications. For those who favour purity in their spirits, the Silver Institute tells us a new vodka produced in Mongolia, which is made from wheat, is distilled six times through silver and platinum filters. The company’s claim is that its vodka is so free of impurities that it can be safely consumed by people on gluten-free diets.
Recent statistics show that Ontario on an annual basis produces about 147 tonnes of silver valued at more than $168.4 million. Modern electronics manufacturers, medicine, auto racers and vodka producers are among many who use silver to build a better world.