Silver (Ag) - Lump, Single Crystal & Sphere - Material Information

Silver (Ag) is a precious transition metal prized for its exceptional electrical and thermal conductivity, high reflectivity, and excellent ductility. From its historical use in currency and jewelry to modern roles in electronics and optics, silver remains indispensable in advanced technologies.

Material Overview

Silver adopts a face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice, which ensures uniformity in its physical properties. Its dense atomic packing yields outstanding electron mobility; the thermal conductivity of pure silver is typically cited near 430 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹ at ambient temperature, making it one of the best heat conductors among metals. Electrical resistivity is comparably low (~1.6×10?? ?·m), placing silver at the top for conductivity performance in pure metallic form. In single-crystal silver, electron scattering at grain boundaries is minimized, thereby preserving electrical and optical performance. Optically, silver displays strong plasmonic behavior and is widely used in high-reflectance coatings and mirrors.

Applications and Advantages

Because of its superior conductivity and corrosion resistance, silver is widely used in electrical contacts, conductors, and soldering materials. Its reflectivity in the visible and infrared makes it a go-to for precision mirrors, telescopic coatings, and laser systems. Single-crystal silver is especially useful in photonic devices, plasmonic structures, and nanotechnology, where minimal defects improve performance. Also, silver’s antimicrobial properties extend its utility into healthcare, water filtration, and coatings with biofunctional functions.

Goodfellow Availability

Goodfellow supplies Silver in forms such as lumps, single crystals, and spheres, each produced to high-purity standards suitable for scientific, optical, and electronic applications. Custom dimensions and shapes can be requested according to project needs. Visit the Goodfellow product finder to explore available silver products.

References

• Chen, J. (2022). Thermal conductivity of pure silver at various temperatures. Zenodo Dataset. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7240336
• Aly, A. A. M., Walfort, B., & Lang, H. (2004). Crystal structure of tetrakis(acetonitrile)silver(I) tetrafluoroborate, [Ag(C?H?N)?][BF?]. *Zeitschrift für Kristallographie – New Crystal Structures*, 219(1-4), 521–524. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1524/NCRS.2004.219.14.521/html
• Sivakumar, N., Anbalagan, G., & Jayavel, R. (2020). Crystal design, thermal and dielectric behavior of novel silver (Ag) coordinated thiourea single crystals. *Materials Letters*, 272, 127899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2020.127899
• Mustafaeva, S. N., Asadov, S. M., & Kerimova, E. M. (2018). Dielectric properties and conductivity of Ag-doped TlGaS? single crystals. *Semiconductors*, 52(2), 233–239. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063782618020094