Silver is found in virtually every electronic device. If it has an on/off button, it’s likely that silver is inside. Electronics & electrical demand rose 6% in 2022 as global industrial production picked-up. Other supportive factors included the demands of the home working economy, strong consumer electronics demand, 5G infrastructure investment, inventory build along the supply pipeline, and rising silver consumption in the green economy, chiefly in photovoltaics. There was also little pressure from substitution and thrifting, primarily as silver prices were viewed favorably.

Silver’s excellent electrical conductivity makes it a natural choice for everything from printed circuit boards to switches and TV screens.

Silver membrane switches, which require only a light touch, are used in buttons on televisions, telephones, microwave ovens, children’s toys and computer keyboards. These switches are highly reliable and last for millions of on/off cycles. Silver is also used in conventional switches like those used for controlling room lights.

For printed circuit boards, used in consumer items from mobile phones to computers, silver-based inks and films are applied to composite boards to create electrical pathways. Similarly, silver-based inks produce RFID tags (radio frequency identification) antennas used in hundreds of millions of products to prevent theft and allow easy inventory control. RFID’s are also used in prepaid toll road passes. Many plasma display panels are also fabricated using silver and silver’s use in the evolving 5G deployment is a plus for silver.