So, why should I use silver plating?
That is why, In the metal plating industry, silver does not necessarily mean second place. In addition, silver is a nearly white colored semi-precious alloy that has many benefits when it comes to metal finishing. Therefore, silver plating offers excellent electrical conductivity. In addition, silver is also the best heat conductor of all metal plating materials. Due to these benefits, plus a more reasonable cost compared to gold or platinum, silver is an excellent choice for many different plating jobs.
In addition, Silver as an electrical conductor
In addition, the atoms of metal elements are characterized by the presence of valence electrons which allow metal to conduct an electric current. Therefore, the effective conductors of electricity are metals that have a single valence electron. In conclusion, this electron is free to move around with little resistance. Metals like silver and copper are a few of the metals with this particular characteristic and that is why they are great electric conductors. What is especially relevant, silver is the most conductive of all metals which makes it a very valuable metal for plating and finishing. For example, the microwave and satellite industries use silver to reduce heat and to carry high frequency signals.
Silver as a heat conductor:
So, heat can only be transferred through three means: conduction, convection and radiation. While, conduction is perhaps the most common, and occurs regularly in nature. In short, it is the transfer of heat through physical contact. The properties that make silver a great electric conductor also make the metal an excellent heat conductor. In conclusion, the atoms in silver are allowed to move through the metal freely without much resistance. In addition, silver’s high temperature resistance allows it to be used in the manufacturing of automobile and jet engines.
So, take a look at the graph below to compare silver’s conductivity against other metals:
|
Material |
Electrical conductivity |
Electrical resistivity |
Thermal Conductivity |
Thermal expansion coef. |
|
Silver |
62,1 |
1,6 |
420 |
19,1 |
|
Copper |
58,5 |
1,7 |
401 |
17 |
|
Gold |
44,2 |
2,3 |
317 |
14,1 |
|
Aluminum |
36,9 |
2,7 |
237 |
23,5 |
|
Zinc |
16,6 |
6,0 |
116 |
31 |
|
Brass |
15,9 |
6,3 |
150 |
20 |
|
Nickel |
14,3 |
7,0 |
91 |
13,3 |
|
Iron |
10,1 |
9,9 |
80 |
12,1 |
|
Tin |
8,7 |
11,5 |
67 |
23,5 |
(Chart by: http://www.tibtech.com/conductivity.php)
Because of the amazing properties of silver, this metal can be very useful depending on your metal plating needs. In addition, it is a cost effective solution to using gold or platinum. At American Plating Company, we specialize in silver plating and have done so for many years. So, every order is hand tailored to fit the individual needs of each client. As a result, we look at the budget requirement, along with deadline requirements all the way down to how many hours go into each job.
Contact us
In conclusion, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding silver plating or any other finish. So, our email address is Sales@AmericanPlatingCompany.com. In addition, giving us a call at (314) 776-0542 is a faster way to speak with one of our top executives about the individual needs of your project.