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The journey of silver from mine to football shirt
METALS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
SILVER
When children work up a sweat on the football pitch, silver in their sportswear helps keep the garments fresher for longer. But the metal also plays an important role beyond the sports field – 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 also an important metal in the technology driving the green transition forward. Here you can read more about how silver is extracted and used.
How 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.
Silver mining – How is it done?
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, where it is crushed and ground into a fine material. The metal-rich portions are then separated from the rest of the rock, producing a concentrate that is sent to one of our smelters for further processing.
Processing silver – 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 cells, and satellites. We also recycle silver. At Rönnskär, for example, a quarter of all the 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 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 our 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. This is a prerequisite for obtaining the required environmental permits. The purpose of reclamation is to reduce environmental risks, restore the land, and create conditions for 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 support future uses such as enhanced biodiversity and reindeer husbandry. In this way, our work towards a sustainable future continues – long 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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