Cell phones used 404.35 tonnes [13 million ounces] of silver last year. Computers consumed 684.29 tonnes [22 million ounces]. Thick film PV consumed 1,461.90 tonnes [47 million ounces] in 2010. Automobiles which used 1,119.75 tonnes [36 million ounces] of silver. Electrical and electronics demand for silver reached an all-time high of 7,555.21 tonnes [242.9 million ounces]. Solar Power in 2011 is expected to reach 2,177.29 tonnes [70 million ounces], up 40%. RFID tags in 2010 reached between 31 and 62 tonnes with a long way to go before reaching full market. Water purification used 62 tonnes [2 million ounces] set to grow to 74.65 tonnes [2.4 million ounces]. Medical applications may grow strongly to reach 93.3 tonnes [3 million ounces] by 2015. The use of nano-silver in goods packaging and hygiene combined would consume 124.4 tonnes [4 million ounces] of silver over the next five years. http://www.kitco.com/ind/AuthenticMoney/apr012011.html
Now you know why there's "free" mobile phone recycling bins in odd places like key cutting stores They get paid on a per-phone basis for metals reclamation, and spruik it under the guise of being green.
2011 we are seeing prices far above those imagined three or four years ago. But then the world is facing far more uncertainty and instability that was ever imagined then too. The decay of currencies ability to measure value has been increasing over that time too, making the soaring prices of silver and gold to become more than plausible. Indeed a strange feature of the silver price has been it moves with gold as though tied with a piece of elastic string to the gold price, rising higher and falling lower at each move. So why does it not move more like copper or another base metal used as a simple commodity? And where, if it doesn't move like them, is it headed? http://www.kitco.com/ind/AuthenticMoney/apr012011.html My comments. Whole article is interesting,click on link But still,if the world economy crashes,so will silvers industrial use.
And then so will the mining of silver slow down and right now there isn't that much of it available above ground. The scarcity and value should still stay high.
Silver is also a disinfectant for water purification and has the highest reflectivity of light - silver is truly an amazing metal. An idustrial metal with monetary value - cant think of any other metal like it to be honest. And what is happening in the world today means all these uses are adding to a seriously bullish market for silver.
Which quantity of chips will be produced? In 2007, 3 to 3.5 billion RFID tags are sought to be manufactured. Furthermore the industry expects an increase of up to 8 to 8.5 billions of manufactured labels in 2008. And let's look ahead! In 2015, 500 to 600 billions of manufactured RFID tags are expected to be produced. Well, RFID will certainly change our life, won't it? Another aspect with immense importance for investors in the silver sector: Once used in producing a radio chip, silver can not be reused or recycled. It is irrevocably lost.This will mean that the demand for silver will rise, while the stock on hand will decrease quickly and heavily. source: http://silver-info.com/rfid-technology.htm --- " Once used in producing a radio chip, silver can not be reused or recycled. It is irrevocably lost. " --- Just crazy! I really think, Silver will be the investment of the decade.
Just had a thought, new use of silver as faraday cage to protect military and vital equipment against EMP attacks and solar flares. That could be a huge billion dollar a year demand. Any EEE engineer here?
STKR has pointed out that silver bullion ownership has risen even during the down years from 2013 to 2018. I think this is a response to the financial crisis and a shift towards hard assets. It’s a bullrun but stretched out over decades.