Gold is very ductile and for some electronic components like bonding wires, the ability to draw gold alloys into extremely thin diameters without breaking is a critical property in the manufacturing process. Gold is also extremely malleable, so in the annealed state it can be hammered cold into a translucent wafer 0.000013 cm thick.

One ounce of gold can be beaten into a sheet covering over 9 square metres and 0.000018 cm thick. Gold has excellent thermal and electrical conductivity, so it makes efficient wires and contacts in electronics, transporting electrical signals efficiently and conducting heat away from critical components. With its high corrosion resistance, the gold found in electronic contacts remains free from tarnish or oxidation.

Each year approximately 8% of annual gold demand comes from the electronics sector. World Gold Council and its members are committed to playing a key role in the development of a responsible gold mining industry, able to meet this demand. The Electronics Industry Citizens’ Coalition   (EICC )  Code of Conduct is a voluntary code that is designed to apply to the entire electronics industry supply chain and, as such, is relevant to metals mining operations. It covers standards for Labour, Health and Safety, Environment and Business Ethics. WGC believes that the EICC code broadly covers the same subject areas as the International Council on Mining and Metals principles, which the World Gold Council and its member companies support. A copy of these principles can be found at: http://www.icmm.com/our-work/sustainable-development-framework/10-principles.

The World Gold Council’s sustainability statement can be found at http://www.gold.org/assets/file/pub_archive/pdf/WGC_sustainability_statement.pdf

Gold-alloys used in dental work are proven to be durable and long-lasting and gold has excellent biocompatibility (it is non-toxic), so allergic reactions to a gold-based dental implant are extremely rare.