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| Gold-plated connections in a circuit board and raw gold. |
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| Gold jewellery |
Copper And Gold In Electronics
Copper Conducts Electricity
Better, So Why Do We Use Gold In Electronics?
The answer relates to the
properties of the metals. Gold is used in electronics because it is more
inert, ductile and malleable than copper.
A few days ago, while buying a new
hard disk for my laptop, I
noticed that certain parts of it were plated with a gold-colored metal.
It made me curious about whether
the metal was actually gold or not.
A quick Google search confirmed
that yes, gold was
in fact used in electronics fairly regularly.
That raised more questions for me.
Why use gold when copper is a better conductor and a much cheaper option?
So why do we use it? For this, we
must first understand how conductors of electricity work.
What is a
conductor?
Electricity is a necessary part of
our lives today. It is essentially tiny charged particles called electrons
hurtling through conductors from one point to another, carrying current.
The current in the wire is
dependent on the electrons moving through the conductor.
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| Current in a circuit. |
The speed of the electrons is
dependent on whether it’s traveling through a good conductor of electricity or
if it’s an insulator.
A great conductor allows for
electrons to pass through easily and quickly. An insulator blocks the passage
of the electrons, limiting the current from flowing.
Hence, a good conductor has “low
electrical resistivity” and insulators have “high electrical resistivity”.
Copper is an excellent conductor of
electricity; it is economical and easy to purchase, so it is the most common
metal used in wiring.
Plastic is an insulator and is
often used to encase wires to prevent accidents. The best conductors are often
metals like silver, gold, iron, etc.
Copper is a better conductor than
gold. With this information comes the puzzle of why gold, instead of copper, is
used in making connector ends, like those found on USB connectors.
The answer to this is both simple
and complex, and lies in the properties of gold as a metal and the requirements
for the conductors used in certain electrical components.
Copper vs Gold:
Comparison of their properties
Gold, a rare and valuable element,
associated with grandeur and royalty, is often viewed as something not casually
used by the average man.
Traditionally, the metal has been
used as a form of currency and for ornamental purposes.
Evidence of its use dates back to
the time of the ancient Egyptian civilization. It remains a popular metal in
jewelry and the making of ornaments.
However, in modern times, gold no
longer remains a novelty item.
Chances are that if you own any
form of sophisticated technology, it has gold as one of its parts.
A small amount of the metal is used
in the production of a variety of electronic components.
Gold is a ductile and malleable
metal, so it can easily be drawn into wires and hammered into sheets.
About 28 grams of the metal can be
beaten into thin sheets of around 17 square meters.
Pure gold is a relatively soft
metal and is therefore easy to use in the production process of the small and
delicate circuits and connectors that are needed.
Gold is the most ductile and
malleable metal known to man.
Copper is comparatively not as
malleable or ductile, and is, therefore, harder to work with.
Another quality of the
metal that makes its use favored over copper (or even silver) is its
reactivity.
Gold is known as a “chemically
inactive” element, which means that it doesn’t react with other materials
easily.
Under normal conditions, it is
inert, unlike copper or silver, both of which easily corrode and tarnish.
Why do we use
gold in electronics?
These properties discussed above
collectively make gold a reliable choice to be used in electrical segments.
Computers have the most gold in
them. Less complex devices, like camcorders and microwaves, etc. have at least a small quantity of gold
in them too!
Copper being more “chemically
active” and less ductile is not favored in making the connectors used in
technology.
These components must be more
robust and long-lasting.
If the components made using gold
are instead made of copper, their longevity and efficiency would be reduced and
they would need to be replaced often, making the devices they are used in more
expensive and demanding of high maintenance.
Today, the largest industrial use
of gold is in the electronics industry.
Due to it being relatively more
expensive than other metals and the fact that there is a shortage of supply,
there is a move to recycle gold used in old electronics because its
demand is still high in the industry.
Fun Fact: there are more YouTube videos on how to salvage
gold from electronics than there is on why its use is favored!
Unfortunately, the consensus is
that unless done on an industrial scale, the process is more expensive and
dangerous than it’s worth.
10% of the recycled gold supply in
the world comes from the industrial recycling of electronics.
With this laundry list of
advantages of using gold to make electronic parts, it is no wonder that even
with all the economic challenges its use poses, it is still preferred over
copper and other conductors in the production of connectors and other delicate
components.
Rhea is a
student at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts pursuing B.A. Honors Liberal Arts.
She is a keen fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She’s an avid bookworm with
an interest in history and writing. In her free time you’ll find her drinking
coffee and playing Sims 4.
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| Wires of gold. |
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