A research team at ETH Zurich has developed an innovative method to extract nearly pure 22-carat gold from electronic waste using a protein-based aerogel derived from cheese production byproduct, whey, Earth.com reported. This sustainable technique offers a safer and more cost-effective alternative to traditional methods involving toxic chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The process involves transforming whey proteins into a porous aerogel sponge that selectively attracts gold ions from dissolved circuit boards. Laboratory tests showed the sponge captured gold with about 90.8% purity on the first pass, outperforming conventional plastic resins. Heating the loaded sponge converts gold ions into solid flakes, which fuse into nuggets approximately 91% gold and 9% copper\u2014meeting 22-carat standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This method significantly reduces energy and procurement costs, potentially enabling local recycling plants and cutting transportation emissions. Researchers are also exploring similar sponges made from plant-based proteins and fish collagen to recover other valuable metals like copper and cobalt. The approach could transform two waste streams\u2014whey and e-waste\u2014into valuable resources, promoting sustainability and reducing reliance on environmentally damaging mining.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A research team at ETH Zurich has developed an innovative method to extract nearly pure 22-carat gold from electronic waste using a protein-based aerogel derived from cheese production byproduct, whey, Earth.com reported. This sustainable technique offers a safer and more cost-effective alternative to traditional methods involving toxic chemicals. The process involves transforming whey proteins into …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":124217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"yes","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[14238],"class_list":["post-124216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science","tag-transforming-e-waste-into-22-carat-gold-nuggets"],"yoast_head":"\n