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Friday, 16th March 2007 (6719 views)

The use of gold in important new applications with environmental and medical benefits looks set to increase, according to a spokesperson for the World Gold Council.

Writing in Rand Refinery's latest annual report, Dr Richard Holliday explained how small amounts of gold were already crucial to the production of a number of devices, including mobile phones, laptops and even in the braking systems of most cars.

"Almost all electronic consumer items contain a small amount of gold, which is critical to the reliable and efficient functioning of the equipment," he said.

"The chips and contacts found in a car's antilock braking system all contain gold, as do smoke detectors, routinely used in millions of households to protect against fire, which contain a gold alloy placed between layers of other metals."

Other areas in which gold was a small but crucial component included dental restorations.

Dr Holliday then explained that the precious metal could also be used in various medical treatments in the future, particularly how gold compounds could be of benefit in cancer screenings and for HIV treatments.

Water purification and removal of mercury from coal-fired power station emissions also look encouraging applications.

 

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