#GoldExtraction from #EWaste gets 10 times more efficient with new sponge material

Researchers developed a nanoscale cross-dimensional composite material via self-assembly of two-dimensional graphene oxide and one-dimensional chitosan macromolecules.

By Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Oct 27, 2024

"Researchers have developed a new type of material that’s 10 times more efficient at extracting gold from e-waste than previous adsorbents. Developed by chemists and materials scientists at the National University of Singapore, the material is a type of sponge made of #GrapheneOxide and #chitosan [shrimp shells].

"The material can reportedly transform the way gold is extracted from electronic wastes, which has been described so far as a dirty business with low yields and results in toxic #pollutants.

"The cheaper, cleaner and efficient method was tested by researchers using real e-waste provided by a recycling company."

[...]

"While the present work focused on gold, the team say the technique could be adapted to recover other valuable metals such as #silver, #platinum or #palladium from #ElectronicWaste or even #mining residues. And that is not all: as well as e-waste, the technology might be applied to a wider range of environmental cleaning efforts, such as filtering out #HeavyMetals from #PollutedWater sources or industrial effluents, reported Physics World."

Read more:
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/gold-extraction-from-e-waste-sponge


Article in Physics World - Eco-friendly graphene composite recovers gold from e-waste

24 Oct 2024

https://physicsworld.com/a/eco-friendly-graphene-composite-recovers-gold-from-e-waste/

#SolarPunkSunday #NoGoldMining
#EWasteRecycling #MetalsExtraction #Electronics #RareEarthMinerals #Recycling #NewTechnology #ShrimpShells

#MIT develops new way to recover critical metals from #EWaste

A multi-step process could produce 1.2 kilograms per day, but its viability depends on expanding #recycling efforts.

Elizabeth A. Thomson, November 24, 2025

"MIT researchers have developed a new, efficient way to recycle #gallium, #indium, and potentially other critical metals key to modern electronics from e-waste like discarded computer screens. The process could also be applied to waste streams from companies that create products containing these metals.

" 'Once optimized, our process could recover 1.2 kilograms of these metals per day,' says Antoine Allanore, a professor of metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He notes, however, that this can only happen if a great deal of e-waste is recycled, and currently there are no large-scale efforts to that end. The recycling rate for gallium and indium from e-waste is currently close to 0 percent.

"The work is important because gallium and indium are listed as critical metals by the United States and the European Union. That’s because they are only produced as byproducts from the #mining of other metals like zinc and aluminum, and those mining operations, in turn, are dominated by only a few countries, including China.

"For many reasons, it doesn’t make economic sense to open new zinc and aluminum mines solely for these byproducts, says Allanore. 'Can we instead recycle and recover these two critical metals from e-waste?'

"He and colleagues have developed a multi-step process to do just that. These steps range from first physically removing #LED chips and other sources of the metals from the e-waste, to exposing them to high temperatures to liberate chemical components. Many of these steps are familiar to industry."

https://mrl.mit.edu/article/mit-develops-new-way-to-recover-critical-metals-from-e-waste

#SolarPunkSunday #NoMining #EWasteRecycling #MetalsExtraction #Electronics

#ZeroWasteAotearoa - Mine #EWaste for #gold, not beautiful landscapes

February 16, 2026

​"As a fast-track consent is sought for a major gold mine in #CentralOtago and another has already been granted in #Coromandel, #ZeroWaste #Aotearoa is calling upon the government to mine #ElectronicWaste, not beautiful landscapes, for gold and other precious metals.

"E-waste contains a significant concentration of gold, with one metric tonne of electronic waste containing up to 800 times more gold than a tonne of mined ore. While precious metals (including gold, silver, copper) make up approximately 60% of the composition of some e-waste, gold specifically is highly concentrated, with a single tonne of circuit boards containing roughly 39 grams of gold.

"#NewZealand currently generates 99,000 tonnes of e-waste every single year. Approximately 98 percent ends up in landfill or is disposed of illegally, according to the Ministry for the Environment.

" 'At present the voluntary product stewardship scheme means that we have one of the lowest rates of e-waste recovery in the world. We are literally throwing gold away into landfills while proposing to dig it up elsewhere in some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes. It is the height of madness,' says Sue Coutts of Zero Waste Aotearoa.

" 'Like many people across the country, we are gravely concerned about the environmental impact of gold mining. We think that there are much better ways to get these valuable resources – and ensure that they stay in circulation forever, not dumped in landfills.'

" 'The World Gold Council says that only 7% of gold is used in tech but 27% of worldwide gold production is already from recycling. This is more than 4 times what we need for tech – there is no valid reason to dig up any more of our precious #ecosystems.'

" '#ProductStewardship would create a pathway for a new industry: one built on resource recovery of valuable materials and a #CircularEconomy.

"NZ company #MINTInnovation relocated to #Sydney because they could tap into flows of e-waste from extended producer responsibility schemes that collect electronic waste in #Australia .

"They chose not to invest in NZ because there is no regulated e-waste scheme here. That’s $60m in turnover that will be dropping into the Australian economy every year instead of ours.

"E-waste was declared a priority product in June 2020 requiring the establishment of a regulated product stewardship scheme under the #WasteMinimisationAct. Yet six years on, a mandatory scheme is not in place and no further work is being done.

"Electronic waste, or e-waste, includes discarded electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, and televisions. E-waste is a rich source of precious metals and #RareEarth elements, including gold, #silver, #platinum, and #palladium, used in #CircuitBoards and components."

Source:
https://zerowaste.co.nz/media-statement-mine-e-waste-for-gold-not-beautiful-landscapes/

#SolarPunkSunday #NoGoldMining #EWasteRecycling #MetalsExtraction #Electronics