Silver

Silver is a ductile material, easily processed, with good corrosion resistance making it applicable as a coating material for corrosion protection in some environments. It is used throughout the food and pharmaceutical industries for lining processing equipment as it maintains the products purity without imparting a metallic flavor to the product.

Low alloying is done to improve the mechanical properties and has little effect on the corrosion resistance of silver. Sterling silver contains ≥ 92.5% Ag with some Cu addition. The copper addition results in a duplex structure for most sterling silvers which can be a source of galvanic attack in strong electrolyte environments. The copper can also be selectively oxidized in elevated temperature environments. The corrosion resistance of silver in various environments is listed in Table 48.