In addition to being a highly precious metal, gold is put to all kinds of interesting and odd uses that you may not be aware of.
Here are 10 uses of gold, in no particular order:
1. Dentistry
Due to its non-toxic composition and malleable nature, gold has been featured in dentistry for over 3,000 years. Gold is also non-corrosive, so has been used extensively in bridgework, fillings and crowns. The rise in the price of gold in the late 1970’s saw a decline in dentistry usage, but it has made a comeback due to having no known negative effects on human health.
2. In Space
Acting as a filter to harmful UV rays from the sun, a thin layer of gold is applied to the visors of astronaut helmets as well as their suits. Space vehicles also leverage the properties of gold to stabilise core temperatures and reflect infrared radiation.
3. Food and Beverages
Extravagant dishes in fine dining restaurants and bars utilise golf leaf or shavings in their dishes or beverages. Gold is flavourless and cannot be digested by the human body, passing straight through, which makes it the ideal premium decoration.
4. Cosmetics and Beauty
Gold has been touted as aiding in circulation, improving skin elasticity and tone and even having anti-ageing properties. As a result, it has been used as an ingredient in moisturisers, lip balms and skincare creams, to name a few.
5. Printing
High quality, durable prints can be achieved utilising gold ink, which has seen an increase in print companies using it. This has extended into 3D printing, where gold has been used experimentally in producing one-off, bespoke items.
6. Computers and electronics
An excellent natural conductor of electricity, televisions and computers typically contain the most gold of your household items (conservatively estimated at over $10 worth, or 1/5th of a gram in an average computer). Other older items like cameras and radios tend to have gold within their circuit boards.
7. Mobile phones
Reportedly, every mobile device in circulation contains a quantity of gold. Up to 50 milligrams (around $4.00 AUD) can be found in a single mobile phone, according to the World Gold Council. With gold having a high resistance to corrosion, it is a much more reliable, albeit expensive, conductor than the considerably cheaper silver.
8. Making Glass
Primarily used as a pigment in specialty glass, a small amount of gold is suspended in annealed (or cooling) glass to give it a rich tint. Gold also has climate-controlling properties, which sees it utilised in glass for buildings (to keep them cool) and even jet windshields (to help defrost them at high altitudes).
9. Treating Arthritis
Gold is even used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Providing pain relief through the reduction of swelling and stiffness, patients typically undergo around 22 weeks of injections utilising gold salts before seeing results.
10. Weight Loss
NanoLipo is a system that uses nanoparticles with gold, heated by infrared light, to melt fat away. The gold nanorods are injected into fat and diffuse through it before being heated from outside the area. This heats the gold and bursts the fat cell and the liquified fat is removed via needle. Ouch.