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The journey of silver from mine to remote control
METALS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
SILVER
When friends gather on the sofa in front of the TV, it's the silver in the remote control that helps signals transmit quickly. But the metal also plays an important role beyond the living room – in everything from circuit boards in mobile phones to solar panels and space satellites. Thanks to its ability to conduct heat and electricity, silver is an important metal in the technology driving the green transition forward. Here you can read more about how silver is extracted and used.
Where we find silver
The extraction of silver and other metals always begins with exploration. The work involves finding what are known as mineral deposits – areas in the bedrock with high concentrations of metals and minerals. In order to use resources and infrastructure as efficiently as possible, we often look for new deposits near existing mines. But finding the actual silver deposit is just the beginning of a long process. This is followed by, among other things, test drilling, analyses, and permit reviews. It takes many years before the work of mining the ore deep in the rock can begin.
Andreas Hjalmarsson gives you an insight in how exploration work is being carried out at Boliden.
How we extract silver
Silver is extracted from several of our own mines, including those in the Boliden area, Garpenberg, and Aitik. Depending on the nature of the deposit, mining takes place either above ground in open-pit operations or in underground mines – sometimes as deep as 1,600 meters below the surface. In the mine, holes are drilled in the rock and filled with explosives. Many of our mines use remote-controlled and automated machinery, which makes operations both safer and more efficient. Once the ore has been blasted loose, it is transported to a concentrator plant. There it is crushed and ground down into a fine material, so that the metal-rich portions can be separated from the rest of the rock. The result is a concentrate that is sent on for further processing.
Silver processing – smelting & recycling
Once the material reaches our smelters in Rönnskär and Harjavalta, the silver and other metals are separated and refined through multiple stages. This process makes it possible to recover the metals and convert them into pure forms that can be used in new products. Silver is cast into, among other things, silver granules – small grains of pure silver used in products such as electronics, solar panels, and satellites. We also recycle silver. At Rönnskär, for example, a quarter of all silver processed comes from electronic scrap. This helps to reduce waste and recover resources that are already in circulation in society. From there, silver continues its journey into many of the products and technologies that we rely on every day.
How silver is used in everyday life
Silver is used in many of the products and technologies that surround us every day. Since silver is by far the best conductor of both heat and electricity, the metal is important in the production of electrical equipment, for power systems and for the electronics industry. Among other things, silver is used in mobile phones, computers, circuit boards, electrical contacts, and high-capacity batteries. The metal also plays an important role in solar cells, aircraft, and space satellites. Thanks to its antibacterial properties, the metal is used in items such as bedding and certain skin care products as well. But responsibility for silver production does not end when the metal has been extracted and used.
What happens to the mine afterwards?
When mining comes to an end, the long-term reclamation of the site begins. But the work is planned and documented in detail long before the mine is even put into operation, which is a prerequisite for obtaining the required environmental permits. The purpose of the reclamation is to reduce environmental risks, restore the land, and create conditions for its future use. Since silver is often extracted alongside metals such as copper, zinc, and lead, the reclamation is tailored to the unique conditions of each mine site. The goal is for the area to once again become a natural part of the landscape and be suitable for uses such as enhanced biodiversity and reindeer husbandry. In this way, our work towards a sustainable future continues – even after mining has ceased.
Reclamation of Rävlidmyrgruvan
The reclamation project for the closed Rävlidmyrgruvan is a great example of how our continuous monitoring leads to risk based mitigative actions. The project spanned over three years in close collaboration both with the entrepreneur, Skanska, and the affected stakeholders and local community. The continuous environmental monitoring is now starting over for the Rävlidmyrgruvan site, building knowledge for future projects.
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