gold, being a highly valued item
Gold
From the very beginning of recorded history, gold has been in myriad of uses for mankind. Its occurrence is in the form of grains in rocks, veins and alluvial deposits. Out of all metals which are known, gold posses a high degree of ductility and malleability and it is dense, soft and shiny. Apart from these, properties which make gold find numerous applications in industries, are its resistance to corrosion, electrical conductivity, infrared reflectivity and thermal conductivity. From here onwards, we will be discussing about the different uses of gold.
Uses of Gold Element
Well, it is known to all that the primary use of gold is associated to jewelry. About 78% of the golf consumed each year goes in the manufacture of different jewelry products. So talking about uses of gold in ancient times, the metal was employed in the production of ornamental objects and this fact dates back to about 6000 years ago. Again, why is gold popular in the manufacture of jewelry? It's because of its different properties of being lustrous, its desirable yellow color, tarnish resistance and of course, most important of all, its incredibly high malleability and ductility. This is evident from the gold foil which is placed in Toi museum, Japan. This foil is about 0.5 square meter and it was formed by hammering a gold nugget of about 5 mm in diameter. So, you can see how far this metal can expand. Read more on gold jewelry and value of gold coins
Not only in making of ornaments, gold, being a highly valued item, was used as a medium of exchange or money. This use of gold in transaction first occurred about 6000 years ago. It was in about 560 BC when the first gold coins were minted. This occurred under the reign of King Croesus of Lydia. Pieces of gold were used for transaction purposes until the 1900's, when paper currency came into use.
Know more on:
* What is Gold Used For
* Where is Gold Found
* Gold: The Element
Coming to the industrial uses of gold, here's what you can refer to.
Solid state electronic devices work on very low voltages and currents. However, the contact points are prone to corrosion and being tarnished, which interrupt the proper functioning of the devices. This is overcome by the use of gold, which not only conducts the electricity, but also keeps the contacts free of corrosion. This is the reason why electronic devices which have gold in their built, are more reliable than those who don't. Uses of gold in electronics are in contacts, switches, relays, soldered joints, connecting wires and connection strips. Television sets, cell phones, calculators, personal digital assistants, global positioning system units and other small electronic devices are products which have gold as one of their building components.
The desktop computers or laptop computers which you see and use everyday, also use gold as an efficient and reliable conductor. Unlike other metals, gold is more efficient in transmitting rapid and accurate digital information from one component to the other in such devices. The edge connectors and plug-and-socket connectors contain gold which is alloyed with other metals.
Nanotechnology is one of the major achievements in the scientific field and even this makes uses of gold, which is more reliable than other elements. Apart from this, future technologies like those which are aimed at water purification, mercury control and control of diesel emission have the prospect of using gold in their projects, due to its unique chemical and metallurgical properties.
Coming to uses of gold in medical science, most of us are aware of dental filling which also makes use of this metal. You may think of getting an iron filling, but few days later, this idea would seem to have been a good one. Dental filling using gold, is although, a pricey affair, but the metal's superior performance and aesthetic look and appeal are worth the investment. Gold is an inert metal, i.e., it does not react with any other substance. Apart from this, it is non-allergenic and provides ease to dentists to work with it. Keeping all these things in mind, the metal is used in fillings, crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances. However, pure gold is far from being used, as it is too soft to withstand any wear and tear. That's why it is alloyed with other metals. Medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lagophthalmos (abnormal condition in which an eye cannot close completely), liver and ear diseases, anergia, etc. also have the implementation of gold.
Gold being a dependable connector and conductor, finds numerous application in almost all space vehicles which are manufactured by NASA. If you can remember what was mentioned at the beginning of this article, gold has the property of being a perfect reflector of Infrared (heat) radiation. In space programs, gold sheets are employed as radiation shield, as they can deflect the burning heat of the sun. The famous US Columbia space shuttle was manufactured using gold in its brazing alloys, fuel cell fabrication, coated plastic films and electrical contacts. How much of gold was used? More than 40.7 kg.
Other uses of gold are in the form of catalysts and in many engineering applications. In places like North America, gold-coated glasses are used for several climate controlled buildings and cases. As these glasses are coated with gold, they reflect solar radiation outward, thus, bringing down the cooling and heating costs by a large extent. Thin sheets known as gold leaf, are used on the external and internal surfaces of buildings. Not to mention the uses of gold in awards and as a symbol of high status. Even in food and drinks and in cosmetics and beauty applications, gold finds its usefulness and efficiency.
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Uses of gold have been increasing over time and as the civilization is growing in leaps and bounds, there are high chances that gold will encompass more applications. And, then I will be coming up with perhaps, more information and data regarding the myriad uses of this truly invaluable metal, gold!
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