Annually, around 50 million tons of electronic waste are generated worldwide, of which only 20% is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or is incinerated, contributing significantly to environmental pollution. However, a team of scientists has found an innovative and sustainable way to use electronic waste, extracting gold without resorting to traditional polluting methods, such as the use of cyanide.
Inspired by the need for more environmentally friendly solutions, researchers at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences have developed a technique based on covalent organic frameworks (VCOF). This innovative method, led by researcher Amin Zadehnazari, makes it possible to identify and extract gold present in electronic waste with high efficiency, without causing damage to the environment.
VCOFs, composed of elements such as tetrathiafluvalene (TTF) and tetraphenylethylene (TPE), stand out for their unique properties. TTF, rich in sulfur, works as a natural magnet for gold, while TPE offers resistance, allowing reuse without losing effectiveness. This system proved capable of capturing 99.9% of the gold in the tests carried out, leaving metals such as nickel and copper intact.
But the benefits don’t stop at extracting the precious metal. According to , scientists have discovered that gold collected with these structures can be used to convert carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas, into useful chemicals. Thus, this method not only helps to recover valuable metals but also contributes to reducing environmental impact, providing a double benefit.
“The future of electronic waste requires sustainable and efficient solutions”, emphasizes Alireza Abbaspourrad, co-author of the study. This highlights the importance of selectively recovering precious metals like gold, especially considering projections that e-waste could reach 80 million metric tons by 2030. This promising approach represents a crucial step in the sustainable management of technological waste and the protection of the environment. environment, by transforming waste into luxury and problems into solutions.
It is estimated that a ton of electronic waste contains at least 10 times more gold than a ton of conventional ore, used to extract this precious metal.
Also read:
