Flinders University
Extract gold from scientific research waste flows? It is possible, sustainable, and full of advantages.
A team of Australian scientists has developed a new method for recover high purity gold from various sources, which include valuable components found in electronic waste, such as discarded computer circuit boards, mixed and concentrated metal residues of ore.
According to, this method is effective even in recovery of gold traces from scientific research waste flows.
The new gold extraction technique has already been tested in electronic waste such as CPU units and RAM plates.
“The study presents several innovations, including a new leaching reagent recyclable derived from a compound used in water disinfection, ”explained investigator Justin Chalke, author of published in Nature Sustainability this week.
“The team also developed a totally new way to produce the adsorbent polymer “The material that connects gold after extracted to water – using light to start the essential reaction,” he added.
And there are other news. Once dissolved, Gold is selectively captured by a special sulfur -rich polymer created by the team. This means that gold can be recovered even from extremely complex mixtures, such as those found in electronic waste.
“The new gold adsorbent was developed with a sustainable process in which UV light is used to produce sulfur-rich polymer. Then, by recycling the polymer after gold recovery, the ecological character of this method is further reinforced,” said Thomas Nicholls, another of the study authors.
