Top Industries purchasing Silver (Ag)
Silver possesses the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals, making it vital in the transition to "green" technology.
"Industrial Applications" now account for nearly 60% of all silver consumed, significantly outweighing traditional jewelry and investment.
Major Individual Company Purchasers
Caution: This content was sourced and arranged by AI and thus may be subject to errors, biases, omissions, or antiquation.
This information can provide a general sense of industry dynamics, but may be unreliable in its specifics, or as an isolated basis for investment decisions.
Silver possesses the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals, making it vital in the transition to "green" technology.
"Industrial Applications" now account for nearly 60% of all silver consumed, significantly outweighing traditional jewelry and investment.
| Rank | Industry | Volume (MT) | % Usage | Primary Applications |
| 1 | Solar Energy (Photovoltaics) | ~8,450 | 22.2% | Silver paste for conductive "fingers" on solar cells. |
| 2 | Jewelry Manufacturing | ~7,200 | 18.9% | Sterling silver (.925) for high-end and fashion jewelry. |
| 3 | Investment (Bars/Coins) | ~6,500 | 17.1% | Physical bullion for wealth preservation and ETFs. |
| 4 | Electrical & Electronics | ~5,800 | 15.3% | Multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and circuit boards. |
| 5 | Automotive & EV | ~3,100 | 8.2% | Contacts, sensors, and silver-heavy EV battery systems. |
| 6 | Silverware & Tableware | ~2,100 | 5.5% | Decorative plating and solid silver cutlery/hollowware. |
| 7 | Brazing & Soldering | ~1,850 | 4.9% | Industrial-strength joining of pipes and engine parts. |
| 8 | Chemical (Catalysts) | ~1,100 | 2.9% | Ethylene oxide production for plastics and detergents. |
| 9 | Healthcare & Medical | ~650 | 1.7% | Antibacterial bandages, surgical tools, and dental alloys. |
| 10 | Water Treatment | ~450 | 1.2% | Silver ions for purification in filters and cooling towers. |
| 11 | Aerospace & Defense | ~380 | 1.0% | High-reliability wiring and silver-zinc batteries for missiles. |
| 12 | Traditional Photography | ~280 | 0.7% | X-ray film, high-end motion picture film, and art paper. |
| 13 | Mirror & Glass Mfg | ~60 | 0.2% | Highly reflective backings for residential/solar mirrors. |
| 14 | Textiles (Antimicrobial) | ~35 | 0.1% | Odor-resistant athletic wear and medical linens. |
| 15 | Renewable (Wind) | ~15 | <0.1% | Specialized lubricants and high-conductivity bearings. |
| 16 | Nuclear Energy | Trace | <0.1% | Control rod cladding for neutron absorption. |
| 17 | Cloud Seeding | Trace | <0.1% | Silver iodide particles for weather modification. |
| 18 | Food & Beverage | Trace | <0.1% | Edible silver leaf for luxury confectionery. |
| 19 | Quantum Computing | Trace | Trace | Low-resistance superconducting interconnects. |
| 20 | Artificial Intelligence | Trace | Trace | High-speed data center electrical contacts. |
Major Individual Company Purchasers
- JinkoSolar / LONGi Green Energy: These two Chinese solar giants are among the world's largest individual consumers of silver. They purchase silver paste in massive quantities for the production of high-efficiency N-type and TOPCon solar cells.
- Tesla, Inc.: A significant and growing purchaser for two reasons: silver is used extensively in EV electronics (nearly 50 grams per car) and in the conductive coatings for high-tech glass.
- Samsung Electronics: Uses silver across its entire product ecosystem, from smartphone circuit boards to the high-conductivity components in advanced display panels.
- Apple Inc.: A major purchaser focusing on sustainable supply chains; Apple uses silver in almost every device, specifically for low-resistance soldering and logic board contacts.
- Toyota Motor Corporation: As it scales its hybrid and EV fleet, Toyota has become a primary purchaser of silver for automotive electrical systems.
- Honeywell International: A key purchaser of silver for aerospace-grade wiring and high-performance brazing alloys for industrial turbines.
- BASF SE: Purchases large volumes of silver for use as a chemical catalyst in the production of ethylene oxide, a precursor to many modern plastics.
- The Royal Mint / US Mint: Major sovereign purchasers of physical silver used to manufacture "Investment Grade" coins (e.g., Silver Eagles, Britannias).
Caution: This content was sourced and arranged by AI and thus may be subject to errors, biases, omissions, or antiquation.
This information can provide a general sense of industry dynamics, but may be unreliable in its specifics, or as an isolated basis for investment decisions.