Kamal Ghorui
These days, there is an assumption worldwide that gold should be purchased for future investment. All the big investors would suggest buying gold as the best way to invest the money. Scientists at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) have developed a sustainable method to restore 22-carat gold from electronic waste using a protein that is made up of whey, which is a byproduct of the dairy industry. Swiss researchers successfully recovered 450 milligrams of 22-carat gold from 20 discarded computer motherboards. This particular research, conducted by scientists at ETH Zurich, is published in the journal Advanced Materials.
How 20 discarded motherboards are hiding 22-carat gold
According to a joint report by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the world generated a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022. These scraps literally contain a gold mine. Such electronic devices, as motherboards sells usually expensive because gold is used in their connectors and circuit paths due to its superior conductivity and resistance to corrosion. Researchers at ETH Zurich have confirmed in their study that by processing just 20 old computer motherboards, they could recover 450 milligrams of high-purity, 22-carat gold. The number can go larger if the amount of discarded motherboards is higher.
Whey to wealth: Using dairy byproducts to extract precious metals
The most unbelievable part of the Swiss research is the use of whey, which is a common liquid byproduct of the cheesemaking industry. Traditionally considered a waste product, whey proteins have been transformed by scientists into a highly efficient ‘protein sponge’ capable of restoring gold from discarded electronic scrap like a motherboard.As quoted by ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), the researchers denatured whey proteins under high temperature and acid to create tiny fibres that are called amyloid fibrils. These nanometer-sized fibres were then freeze-dried to form a sponge. When this sponge is placed into a solution of dissolved computer motherboards, it acts like a molecular magnet.
Future of profitable and green e-waste recycling
The success story of the Swiss researchers on the protein-sponge method signals a shift in how we view global waste streams. By solving the extraction theory that high-purity gold can be recovered using organic materials rather than kind of toxic chemicals, with this, researchers have laid the foundation for a truly green and profitable circular economy. This study transforms e-waste from a mounting environmental liability into a gainful resource.
How this 22-carat gold discovery is a win for the global economy
As per the economic analysis given by ETH Zurich, the value of the recovered 450mg of 22-carat gold far outweighs the costs associated with its extraction. Moreover, the energy and raw material costs are roughly 50 times lower than the market value of the gold that is retrieved. This profit-to-cost margin makes the technology highly attractive for scaling it commercially, as it allows a faster and cheaper way to extract gold from deep-earth ores.
