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That much gold would still be worth it for electronic and spaceflight applications. Gold's like a better copper or silver there. And let's not forget the most i

That much gold would still be worth it for electronic and spaceflight applications. Gold's like a better copper or silver there. And let's not forget the most important application, stereo plug connectors. For platinum or iridium, making it cheaper there would enable all sorts of catalytic chemical processes that are prohibitively expensive now. If abundant enough, new demand will keep the bottom of the market from falling out.

dnautics 9y ago
Gold is already not a major expense in electronics. Platinum is currently cheaper than gold. Most pgm catalysts are capable of ~< .1% catalyst loading (e.g. monsanto and cativa processes), and the catalytic metals are easily recovered.
- labster 9y ago
  I'd like to believe you about Pt and Ir catalysts, but I just had a chemistry PhD student complaining to me that some paper's processes were too uneconomical because of needing too many platinum atoms in the catalyst. The point was about new processes being viable, not existing techniques.
russdill 9y ago
They actually just plate connectors typically, I think with around 7µm of gold. And no, gold is not a better copper or silver. Both silver and copper are more conductive than gold (then followed by aluminum). Gold is excellent for contact points though as it does not tarnish. Silver conducts heat and electricity the best of the three, but tarnishes the most easily, so it can have issues with high frequency signals as most of the signal travels on the outer surface. If both silver and copper were the same price as copper, it'd probably be silver that would see the most increase in use in electrical applications. During the Manhattan project, there was a shortage of copper and cost was not an option. 430 million troy ounces of silver from the West Point Bullion Depository was melted down and used to make magnetic coils. At the end of the project, it was all returned, minus 120 oz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calutron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calutron
- labster 9y ago
  The stereo plug thing was a joke, but thanks for educating me on the Calutron. Very cool.
deleted 9y ago
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dnautics 9y ago

Gold is already not a major expense in electronics. Platinum is currently cheaper than gold. Most pgm catalysts are capable of ~< .1% catalyst loading (e.g. monsanto and cativa processes), and the catalytic metals are easily recovered.

labster 9y ago
I'd like to believe you about Pt and Ir catalysts, but I just had a chemistry PhD student complaining to me that some paper's processes were too uneconomical because of needing too many platinum atoms in the catalyst. The point was about new processes being viable, not existing techniques.

russdill 9y ago

They actually just plate connectors typically, I think with around 7µm of gold. And no, gold is not a better copper or silver. Both silver and copper are more conductive than gold (then followed by aluminum). Gold is excellent for contact points though as it does not tarnish. Silver conducts heat and electricity the best of the three, but tarnishes the most easily, so it can have issues with high frequency signals as most of the signal travels on the outer surface. If both silver and copper were the same price as copper, it'd probably be silver that would see the most increase in use in electrical applications. During the Manhattan project, there was a shortage of copper and cost was not an option. 430 million troy ounces of silver from the West Point Bullion Depository was melted down and used to make magnetic coils. At the end of the project, it was all returned, minus 120 oz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calutron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calutron

labster 9y ago
The stereo plug thing was a joke, but thanks for educating me on the Calutron. Very cool.

deleted 9y ago

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