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Silver Foil
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Purity | Thickness | Sides | Temper Options | Surface Finish Options | Special Variants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.9% to 99.999% | 0.001mm to 6mm | 10mm to 300mm | Annealed, As Rolled | Polished on one side | Light Tight |
Need custom configurations? Please contact our Technical Solutions team.
Key Features
Silver foil possesses a combination of material characteristics that make it particularly well suited for electronics, energy systems, optics, medical devices, and scientific instrumentation:
Highest Electrical and Thermal Conductivity
Silver is the most conductive metal, making silver foil ideal for high-performance electronics, EMI/RFI shielding, and thermal interface materials. It ensures minimal energy loss and efficient heat dissipation in demanding systems.
Exceptional Reflectivity and Optical Performance
Silver reflects up to 95% of visible light, making it indispensable in mirrors, solar reflectors, optical coatings, and light management films. Its optical clarity supports applications in sensors, imaging, and display technologies.
High Malleability and Ductility
Silver can be rolled into ultra-thin foils without cracking, enabling fine-feature patterning, flexible interconnects, and high-surface-area coverage in microelectronics, packaging, and advanced manufacturing.
Catalytic Activity in Chemical Processing
Silver acts as a catalyst in key industrial reactions, particularly in the production of ethylene oxide and formaldehyde — essential chemicals in plastics, textiles, and solvents. Silver foil and mesh forms are used in reactors for their efficiency and recoverability.
Photovoltaic and Energy Applications
Silver foil and pastes are essential in solar cells, where they collect and conduct electricity generated by sunlight. Their role in photovoltaic systems is critical to renewable energy infrastructure and efficiency.
Industrial Applications
High-purity silver foil is valued across advanced industries for its unmatched electrical and thermal conductivity, malleability, reflectivity, and antimicrobial properties:
- ✦ Electronics & Electrical Systems
- Used in precision electrical contacts, circuit interconnects, and EMI shielding, where its superior conductivity and low contact resistance ensure efficient signal transmission and minimal energy loss.
- ✦ Scientific Instrumentation & Vacuum Systems
- Employed in sputtering targets, X-ray reflectors, and vacuum components due to its high reflectivity, low outgassing, and stability under high vacuum and thermal cycling.
- ✦ Medical & Antimicrobial Applications
- Utilised in wound dressings, diagnostic sensors, and implantable devices for its natural antimicrobial properties, which help prevent infection and support healing.
- ✦ Thermal & Infrared Management
- Applied in thermal interface materials, infrared reflectors, and heat spreaders, where its high thermal conductivity and reflectivity enhance energy efficiency and thermal control.
- ✦ Battery & Energy Storage Technologies
- Used in advanced battery electrodes and current collectors, particularly in high-performance and miniaturised energy storage systems, where conductivity and chemical stability are critical.
Mentions in Scientific Literature
Goodfellow's silver foil features prominently in research including but not exclusive to domains such as:
Material Characterisation & Method Validation, used as a reference material to measure how X-rays pass through materials and to validate experimental data against industry standards
[1–2]
.
Mass Spectrometry, used as pure, uniform samples in advanced laser-based techniques to accurately measure isotopic ratios
[3–4]
.
Ion Beam Analysis, used in experiments to measure energy loss of scattered ions and refine stopping power models
[5]
.
Electrical Property Measurement, utilised for thermopower and resistivity testing to study material behaviour across temperature ranges
[6]
.
Isotope Production & Nuclear Research, used as high-purity metal foils in particle accelerators to create short-lived isotopes like thallium and indium
[7]
.
Preserving Cultural Artefacts, employed in corrosion tests to check if materials are safe for storing and displaying museum objects
[8]
.
Quantum Technology & Atom Chips, used to fabricate wire structures for atom chips, enabling magnetic field control for manipulating ultracold atoms in quantum experiments
[9–10]
.
Across these disciplines researchers have utilised our silver foils as
X-ray attenuation reference standards for method validation
[1–2]
,
pure isotopic targets in nanoscale laser mass spectrometry
[3–4]
,
ion-stopping reference foils for nuclear stopping power calibration
[5]
,
radioisotope production targets in accelerator-based nuclear research
[7]
, and
microfabricated atom chip substrates for quantum technology experiments
[9–10]
— applications that all benefit from silver's excellent reflectivity, electrical conductivity, and suitability for precision measurements and advanced fabrication.
References & Citations
Click to expand
- De, J., Nascimento, M., & De Janeiro, R. (2022). Determinação de coeficientes mássicos de atenuação de materiais utilizando espectros de raios X polienergéticos. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. https://www.if.ufrj.br/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JULIANA-DE-MOURA-NASCIMENTO.pdf
- Juliana, Fernanda, Alexander, S., Santos, J. C., & de, M. (2024, October). Experimental determination of linear attenuation coefficients using a CdTe detector: application to breast tissue-equivalent materials. INIS – International Nuclear Information System; Sociedad Mexicana de Irradiacion y Dosimetria. https://inis.iaea.org/records/z2595-q1d13
- Rush, L. A., Cliff, J. B., Reilly, D. D., Duffin, A. M., & Menoni, C. S. (2021). Imaging isotopic content at the nanoscale using extreme ultraviolet laser ablation and ionization mass spectrometry. International Conference on X-Ray Lasers 2020, 15. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2593315
- Extreme Ultraviolet Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometry: Probing Materials at the Micro and Nano Scales. (2023). ProQuest. https://search.proquest.com/openview/bc59686a3737367a8b4b3f341613a113/1.pdf
- Strub, E., Bohne, W., & Röhrich, J. (2006). Determination of the energy loss of various elements in metal foils with the TOF-ERDA setup at the ISL Berlin. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 249(1–2), 62–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2006.03.079
- Thermally Induced Quasiparticle Branch Imbalance in Thin Film Superconductors (Thermopower, Thermoelectric). (2025). ProQuest. https://search.proquest.com/openview/a8a23a448ed903b4b6487b53856f72d4/1
- Cubova, K., Semelova, M., Nemec, M., John, J., Milacic, J., Omtvedt, J. P., & Stursa, J. (2018). Extraction of thallium and indium isotopes as the homologues of nihonium into the ionic liquids. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 318(3), 2455–2461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6270-x
- Díaz, I., & Cano, E. (2022). Quantitative Oddy test by the incorporation of the methodology of the ISO 11844 standard: A proof of concept. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 57, 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2022.08.001
- Whitlock, S. (n.d.). Bose-Einstein condensates on a magnetic film atom chip. Swinburne University. https://figshare.swinburne.edu.au/articles/thesis/Bose-Einstein_condensates_on_a_magnetic_film_atom_chip/26276140/1/files/47639131.pdf
- Ivannikov, V. (2013). Analysis of a trapped atom clock with losses. Swinburne University. https://figshare.swinburne.edu.au/articles/thesis/Analysis_of_a_trapped_atom_clock_with_losses/26291125/1/files/47657290.pdf
Synonyms
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 47 |
| Crystal structure | Face centred cubic |
| Electronic structure | Kr 4d¹⁰ 5s¹ |
| Valences shown | 1-2,2 |
| Atomic weight( amu ) | 107.8682 |
| Thermal neutron absorption cross-section( Barns ) | 63.8 |
| Photo-electric work function( eV ) | 4.7 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 107/ 51.83 |
| Natural isotope distribution( Mass No./% ) | 109/ 48.17 |
| Atomic radius - Goldschmidt( nm ) | 0.144 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 2/ 21.5 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 1/ 7.58 |
| Ionisation potential( No./eV ) | 3/ 34.8 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Material condition | Hard |
| Material condition | Soft |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.367 |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.367 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 103.6 |
| Bulk modulus( GPa ) | 103.6 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 82.7 |
| Tensile modulus( GPa ) | 82.7 |
| Izod toughness( J m⁻¹ ) | 5 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 95 |
| Hardness - Vickers( kgf mm⁻² ) | 25 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 330 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 172 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 1.63@20°C |
| Temperature coefficient( K⁻¹ ) | 0.0041@0-100°C |
| Thermal emf against Pt (cold 0C - hot 100C)( mV ) | 0.74 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Boiling point( C ) | 2212 |
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 10.5@20°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Melting point( C ) | 961.9 |
| Latent heat of evaporation( J g⁻¹ ) | 2390 |
| Latent heat of fusion( J g⁻¹ ) | 103 |
| Specific heat( J K⁻¹ kg⁻¹ ) | 237@25°C |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 429@0-100°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 19.1@0-100°C |
Tolerances
| Thickness | <0.01mm | ±25% |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.01mm - 0.05mm | ±15% |
| Thickness | >0.05mm | ±10% |