Gold (Au)
is one of the most valuable elements and an important industrial metal.
While gold was once the universal currency for trade and connected thousands of merchants, today it ensures that mountains of data are transferred from one point to the next quickly and securely.
KING OF METALS
With its excellent electrical conductivity and resistance to oxidation, corrosion, and wear, gold displays its strengths everywhere that electric currents or voltage have to be conveyed without losses. It is therefore ideal for high-performance processors, connectors, and electrical resistors.
At the same time, gold is a soft metal. It can be easily worked and processed, and its qualities make it highly attractive for many industrial applications. Today, roughly 10 % of all gold resources are found in industrial products such as cell phones and computers. Developments like digitalization and miniaturization increase demand even more.
Apart from its industrial applications, most gold output is used as an investment or is processed to make jewelry. Because the king of metals is so valuable, most of the gold that has ever been produced is thought to still be in circulation. Current global demand for gold is approximately 4,000 t annually. This demand is expected to increase in the coming years, by about 2 % annually.
CERTIFIED SECURITY
We recover gold primarily from copper concentrates and from scrap and industrial residues, mainly e-scrap (including computer circuit boards, cell phones, and electrical devices).
We produce our gold from conflict-free raw materials only. We have been audited accordingly by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) for many years and are a certified partner for our customers. Our efforts also qualify us for the smelter and refiner lists of renowned technology companies.
Aurubis produces gold with 99.99 % purity, selling it exclusively to commercial users. Customers in different industries purchase it in the form of granules for electronics and jewelry production, or as bars for the world’s safes. Aurubis sold a total of about 48 t of gold in fiscal year 2017/18.
We believe gold has a shining future.