Precious Metal Alloys: A Few Facts and Practices
Made up of rare metals, precious metal alloys possess unique characteristics unavailable in traditional base metal alloys. Each precious metal brings its best qualities to the final product, offering a variety of extended properties. At ACI Alloys, we strive to provide high-quality metals through in-house melting with carefully crafted and cost-reductive technology to help our clients get the best alloy at the lowest possible cost. Today’s critical uses for alloys leave no room for error, and product integrity is the key to a viable and overall great finished product.
Noble Metals
Noble metals bring special qualities to alloys. Precious metals such as gold, silver, palladium, platinum and iridium all have their own special elements. To reach desirable results, we perform specification testing for shape, strength, melting point, corrosion resistance, conductivity, malleability and ductability. It’s important to remember that properties differ based on the composition of the alloy. Depending on the finished product, testing of alternative metals should always be taken into consideration. At ACI Alloys, we know reclamation value is also an important factor when deciding on which precious metals to use.
Different Metals, Unique Properties
While all precious metals have unique properties, they also share many common characteristics. For instance, gold and silver share high reliability. Gold, however, is less lubricable than silver, but stands up to corrosion better than silver. Silver offers a better soldering surface than gold, and the conductivity of silver is superior to most other metals. Palladium is an alternative to gold for some purposes, and it absorbs hydrogen. Platinum offers superior anti-corrosive properties, and iridium offers excellent elasticity. Depending on the mix of metals, the application possibilities are almost endless.
Industries
Precious metal alloys are used throughout a multitude of industries. At ACI Alloys, we specialize in precious metals for evaporation and sputtering which can apply for the aerospace, electronics, ceramics, automotive and medical and chemical industries. Testing any industry product specifications should include determining proportions, content and purity to ensure integrity of the finished products. While innovation in testing is an important factor in reducing costs, we also recommend considering reclamation when engineering your precious metal alloy.