Some of the devices that we usually discard regularly, such as old mobile phones, They can hide a precious gold -shaped treasure.
In 2022, the planet generated about 62 million tons of electronic waste, a figure that could reach 82 million in 2030. This is due to the huge number of laptops, mobile phones and other devices that are discarded when reaching the end of its useful life.
A team from the University of Flinders, in Australia, has developed a new procedure to extract gold, both from electronic scrap and mineral rock, without resorting to toxic substances such as cyanide or mercury. It should be clarified that the majority of the gold that occurs comes from mining processes that depend on harmful chemicals.
In conventional mining, cyanide is used to dissolve the metal of the rock, which contaminates soils and rivers. For its part, artisanal mining usually resorts to Mercury to Amalgamar El Oro, which is then heated to free it.
The proposal of this team of researchers is based on a solution of tricloroisocianuric acid, a usual compound in the treatment of waters and pool cleaning.
When combining it with a catalyst in salt water, they managed to dissolve the gold. Then, a polysulfide polymer, manufactured from elementary sulfur, captures metal with great efficacy, even when there are other metals present.
He oro It can recover with high purity through pyrolysis or reverse polymerization, and the interesting thing is that the polymer can be reused. In addition, the process allows to recycle both water and chemicals used, increasing sustainability.
Researchers have already tried the technique with minerals, circuit plates and other electronic waste. «Our goal is to support miners economically, offering safer alternatives to mercury,» they said in the study.
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