Week in brief (29–2 September)
Scientists find way to extract gold from used electronics
Copyright: Family Business/Shutterstock
Hundreds of tonnes of gold could be recovered from old electronic devices, such as mobile phones, TV sets and computers each year, using a simple chemical method developed by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, UK.
To extract the gold, the team printed circuit boards, which are placed in a mild acid, dissolving all of their metal parts. An oily liquid containing the team’s chemical compound is then added, which extracts gold selectively from the complex mixture of other metals. Their findings could aid the development of methods for large-scale recovery of gold and other precious metals from waste electronics, the team says.
The new method doesn’t require the use of toxic chemicals, such as cyanide and is said to be more effective than current techniques. The extraction method could help recover about 300 tonnes of gold used in electronics each year.
Jason Love, Professor of Molecular Inorganic Chemistry at the University commented, ‘We are very excited about this discovery, especially as we have shown that our fundamental chemical studies on the recovery of valuable metals from electronic waste could have potential economic and societal benefits.’
· New digital antenna could revolutionise the future of mobiles
· Testing to start in Orkney on most powerful tidal turbine
· Microplastics discovered in the deep, open ocean
· Alzheimer's drug study gives tantalising results
To find out more on materials science, packaging and engineering news, visit our website IOM3 or follow us on Twitter @MaterialsWorld for regular news updates. You can also now get access to our content any time, anywhere via our app. For more information, visit app.materialsworld.org