April 01, 2024
Researchers at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, have innovated a technique that recovers gold from e-waste. Various components of electronic devices, such as the circuit boards and motherboards of computers, contain small quantities of gold. Researchers used whey, a cheesemaking byproduct, to create a protein sponge that helps recover such gold from e-waste. The process involves dissolving the metal parts extracted from old electronic devices in acid and using the protein sponge to pull the gold ions. The gold is then transformed into tiny flakes and further melted to create gold nuggets. According to researchers, this new method is economical and sustainable.
DID YOU KNOW?
Most of the gold on Earth has been deposited by meteorites containing gold and other metals, which bombarded the Earth billions of years ago.
Image for representational purposes
ACTIVITY: Use Your Waste
Draw a design for a sculpture created out of electronic waste.
