How It Works:
- Protein Fibers from Waste:
- The researchers used whey protein, a byproduct of the dairy industry, to create AF. These fibers are tiny, strong, and have unique properties that make them good at capturing metals.
- Making the Material:
- They treated the whey protein under specific conditions (acidic environment and high temperature) to form these AF fibers. Then, they processed these fibers into a lightweight, porous material called an aerogel.
- Capturing Gold:
- The AF aerogel is placed in a solution containing various metals, including gold, extracted from e-waste like old computer parts. The aerogel selectively captures and holds onto gold particles from the solution.
- High Efficiency:
- The AF aerogel is highly effective at capturing gold compared to other metals. It can remove up to 93.3% of gold from the solution, even when other metals are present in higher concentrations.
- Recovering Pure Gold:
- After capturing the gold, the AF aerogel can be processed to extract pure gold, which can then be formed into high-purity gold nuggets.
Benefits to Humanity:
- Reducing Waste:
- This method helps manage two types of waste: e-waste and food industry byproducts. By converting whey protein and e-waste into valuable gold, it reduces the environmental impact of both types of waste.
- Sustainable Resource Management:
- As gold is a non-renewable resource, recovering it from e-waste aligns with circular economy principles, ensuring that we make the most out of the materials we already have rather than mining new gold.
- Economic Viability:
- The process is cost-effective. Recovering gold using this method costs about $1.1 per gram, while the market value of gold is significantly higher, making it a profitable endeavor.
- Environmental Benefits:
- The method has a lower environmental impact compared to traditional gold recovery techniques. It reduces carbon emissions, freshwater pollution, and fossil fuel depletion.
- Potential for Scale:
- Given its efficiency and economic viability, this method has the potential to be scaled up, providing a sustainable solution to the growing problem of e-waste and contributing to more eco-friendly resource management practices.
In summary, this innovative method not only provides a new way to recover gold efficiently but also turns waste into valuable resources, supporting both environmental sustainability and economic benefits.
Disclaimer: This content was simplified and condensed using AI technology to enhance readability and brevity.
This article was derived from: Peydayesh, M., Boschi, E., Donat, F., & Mezzenga, R. (2024). Gold Recovery from E‐Waste by Food‐Waste Amyloid Aerogels. Advanced Materials, 36(19). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202310642
