What sort of everyday products contain gold?

Almost all electronic consumer items like mobile phones, computers, and flat screen televisions contain a small amount of gold, which is critical to the reliable and efficient functioning of the equipment. The chips and contacts found in a car’s ABS system all contain gold, as does the electronics controlling the inflation of car airbags in the event of a crash.

Smoke detectors, routinely used in millions of households to protect against fire, contain a gold alloy placed between layers of another metal. Gold is used in brazing alloys used to join certain components in aero engines and in some medical implants gold is the metal of choice. It’s fair to say that without the use of gold in all these products, they would be much less efficient and reliable than they are now.

• Back to the questions