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Au-Interaction of Slp1 Polymers and Monolayer from Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-B53 - QCM-D, ICP-MS and AFM as Tools for Biomolecule-metal Studies

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Published on: January 19, 2016

Biosorption of gold from computer microprocessor leachate solutions using chitin.

Letícia N Côrtes¹, Eduardo H Tanabe¹, Daniel A Bertuol¹

¹Environmental Processes Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Federal University of Santa Maria - UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.

Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)

|July 20, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Chitin effectively biosorbs gold from electronic waste leachates. A combined precipitation and biosorption method achieved 80% gold recovery, demonstrating an efficient recycling strategy for valuable metals.

Keywords:

Biosorption Chitin Computer microprocessors Gold Precipitation

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Published on: June 6, 2012

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Environmental Chemistry
Metallurgy

Background:

Electronic waste, specifically discarded computer microprocessors (DCM), contains valuable gold.
Thiourea leaching is a common method for extracting gold from electronic waste.
Efficient and environmentally sound methods for gold recovery are crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the biosorption of gold from DCM leachate using chitin.
To evaluate two gold recovery procedures: direct biosorption and precipitation followed by biosorption.
To analyze the kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic aspects of gold biosorption on chitin.

Main Methods:

Biosorption of gold using chitin as a biosorbent.
Leaching of DCM components with thiourea solutions.
Evaluation of gold recovery via direct biosorption and a two-step precipitation-biosorption process.
Kinetic, equilibrium (BET model), and thermodynamic analyses of the biosorption process.

Main Results:

The general order model accurately described the biosorption kinetics.
The BET model provided a good fit for the equilibrium data.
Maximum biosorption capacities reached approximately 35 mg/g for both procedures.
Gold biosorption on chitin was spontaneous, favorable, and exothermic.
The precipitation followed by biosorption method yielded the highest gold recovery (around 80%).

Conclusions:

Chitin is a viable biosorbent for gold recovery from electronic waste leachates.
The precipitation step effectively removes interfering species, enhancing gold recovery efficiency.
The combined precipitation-biosorption method offers a promising approach for sustainable gold recycling from e-waste.