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A scientific discovery promises to change the way the world recovers gold, offering a safer and more efficient alternative that could transform entire industries. What until now seemed like a costly and polluting challenge is beginning to reveal an innovative solution.
A group of scientists from Switzerland made an unprecedented finding: they recovered gold of 22 karats from common electronic waste. This was achieved without harming the environment.
This is a discovery that opens new doors in the world of recycling. The finding was pursued by the ETH Zurich group, a highly prestigious public university founded in 1854.
Gold and recycling: a method that extracts minerals from electronic components
Another finding, coming from Australia, sparked interest in sectors linked to the recycling method by which gold is obtained from electronic components. The key lies in a process that succeeds in obtaining very high-purity gold without relying on dangerous chemicals that usually harm the environment.
The first results released by the researchers reveal surprising figures: the material obtained exceeds 99% purity, a level difficult to achieve even with traditional refining techniques.
The new approach to gold recovery
The interdisciplinary team at Flinders University, in Australia, developed a procedure that replaces the use of cyanide, one of the most controversial compounds because of its toxicity, with trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA), a substance commonly used in water disinfection.
But the real breakthrough lies in the use of a sulfur polymer capable of selectively binding to dissolved gold. After a controlled heating or chemical treatment process, the precious metal is released in pure form, and the polymer can be reused, making the method a sustainable and economical option
In addition to this finding, a group of ETH Zurich researchers in Switzerland developed an innovative process that allows 22-karat gold to be extracted from discarded electronic components.
How does it affect job creation and the economy?
This advance not only opens the door to safer recycling of electronic components, but also raises a paradigm shift in mining. By dispensing with cyanide, the new process reduces environmental and health risks, providing solutions aligned with the circular economy.
Among its main benefits are:
- Reduction of electronic waste
- Effective gold recovery
- Job creation
- Boost to the circular economy
Toward a new era in electronic waste management
In addition, the innovation is expected to create new job opportunities in areas such as technological waste management, chemical engineering, and industrial sustainability.
The discovery, still in the research stage, already projects a future in which gold extraction becomes cleaner and more efficient, with both economic and environmental benefits.