"Gold" and "technology" certainly do not rhyme together as the aurum glow is especially espoused with elegant ornaments. But what if I say that technology too owes to it big time? Well, you might not know but 11% of total physical gold usage is consumed by the tech sector. Yes, the versatile precious metal commands a major role in the high-tech & industrial sector and there are several unusual uses of gold. The amazing conductive properties of the metal & high resistance ability to corrosion have secured it a prominent berth in these sectors and let's have a look how the tech field is cashing in on gold in various ways.
Electronics & computer
As mentioned earlier, gold speaks of fantastic conductive capacity & maintain high resistance guard to corrosion and both these properties have made the metal a strong contributor to the innovations in the wiring & coatings in electronic sector. Most of the major electronic devices such as TVs, mobile phones, GPS, computers, laptops, have got gold parts in them. Gold is extremely efficient in carrying little electrical charges which ensure easy information transfer, resulting in faster communication.
In regards to computers, the edge connectors meant to mount the microprocessors & memory chips on motherboards & plug-and-socket, work with cables containing gold. The golden presence here is usually electroplated on other metals & alloyed with cobalt or nickel to improve durability.
Nanotechnology
Then, physical gold has its own share of contributions in nanotechnology as well. In fact, as per the experts, given its composition & unique properties, the very metal is a top favorite while creating products based on nanotechnology. The edgy technology is required to work with stuff on a range of 1-100 nanometers. It inevitably calls for precise tools & materials and gold is one of the best options here. Nanotechnology in several fields such as engineering, environmental management, medicine etc. is increasingly using gold for manufacturing procedures.
Aerospace
When we are discussing many uses of gold apart from ornaments, aerospace deserves a special mention hands down. The aerospace world is always sending vehicles to such spaces where they just have nobody to take care of the maintenance & lubrication of their devices and hence calls for the most dependable materials. Gold has long proved its mettle as a highly dependable metal and it's little wonder that NASA uses gold in all the space vehicles it launches.
Yes, gold is widely used in aerospace and one of its most common use is as a strong lubricant for the mechanical parts. As a spacecraft is launched on space, organic lubricants will start to volatize over time & would get broken down from intense radiation- which is always way higher compared to Earth's atmosphere. But gold scores here with its extremely low shear-strength & a thing gold film in between critical mechanical parts will serve as a fantastic lubricant. Gold molecules can easily slip past each other under friction force which will in turn reward with amazing lubricating action.
So, gold is not just for the beautiful damsels, the techies & engineers too owe to it big time.