ZURICH: Scientists have developed a highly effective method to extract gold from e-waste.
The researchers used a protein sponge from waste during the cheese-making process to extract the precious metal from e-waste. According to the researchers, this method is sustainable and commercially feasible.
In the study, scientists collected 450 mg of 22-karat gold from just 20 old computer motherboards.
The results of the research show that the energy cost of collecting the waste and the whole process is 50 times less than the cost of the extracted gold.
To extract the gold, scientists destroyed all the natural properties of whey protein at high temperatures under acidic conditions to create a protein slurry that was dried and made into a sponge.
The researchers then separated metal parts from 20 motherboards and soaked them in acid, then placed a protein fiber in the solution to attract gold ions. Other metals are also attracted to these fibers, but gold does this more effectively.
The scientists heated the sponge to convert the gold ions into galls, which were then melted down into gold pieces.
