Primary Applications
Electronics, photovoltaics, jewelry, investment, brazing and soldering, antimicrobial uses
Mining Significance
Silver is produced from dedicated silver deposits and, very commonly, as a coproduct or byproduct of lead-zinc, copper, and gold mining. It may occur as native silver, silver sulfides, sulfosalts, or as a minor constituent in other minerals. Because silver deportment varies widely, recovery can involve flotation, gravity separation, cyanide leaching, smelting, and refinery recovery from base-metal concentrates.
