Silver

Silver (CAS 7440-22-4), also designated E174 as a food-contact and cosmetic colorant, is a precious metal sourced in refined elemental form for industrial, decorative, and antimicrobial applications. Argentum is the historical designation still referenced in pharmaceutical and laboratory contexts. Demand spans sectors where conductivity, catalytic activity, or controlled microbial suppression are procurement priorities.

In personal care and cosmetics, E174 silver is used as a surface colorant in decorative products such as nail preparations and body decoration, where regulatory compliance with approved colorant status drives sourcing decisions. Water treatment systems incorporate silver-dosed media and coatings to inhibit biofilm formation in filtration units and storage vessels. Printed electronics and conductive ink formulations rely on silver particles or flakes.

These materials produce conductive traces on flexible substrates. In biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing, silver-based surface treatments are applied to equipment and wound-contact materials to reduce microbial load. Silver is supplied as powder, flakes, granules, colloidal dispersions, and foil, with particle size and morphology specified to application requirements. Grades include technical, pharmaceutical-grade, and cosmetic-grade material.

Colloidal silver concentrations and powder mesh sizes vary by end-use, and buyers typically specify purity at 99.9% or higher for electronics and pharmaceutical applications to ensure performance and safety.