Utilizing cost-effective pyrocarbon for highly efficient gold retrieval from e-waste leachate
Kaixing Fu1, Xia Liu2, Xiaolin Zhang3
1State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Health Impact Assessment of Emerging Contaminants, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
Nature Communications
|July 20, 2024
Summary
This study presents a green sorption method for recovering gold from electronic waste (e-waste) leachate using alginate-derived pyrocarbon. The novel sorbent achieves high efficiency and selectivity, promoting a circular economy.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Electronic waste (e-waste) leachate poses environmental challenges.
- Sustainable and selective recovery of valuable metals like gold from e-waste is crucial due to limited supply and rising costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an environmentally benign and practical method for gold recovery from e-waste leachate.
- To utilize alginate-derived pyrocarbon as a high-performance sorbent for gold.
Main Methods:
- Employing alginate-derived pyrocarbon sorbent for gold recovery from e-waste leachate.
- Investigating the gold ion reduction mechanism via hydroxylation and stepwise nucleation.
- Conducting technoeconomic analysis to assess economic viability.
Main Results:
- The pyrocarbon sorbent demonstrated a high recovery capacity (2829.7 mg g⁻¹), efficiency (>99.5%), and selectivity (Kd ≈ 3.1 × 10⁸ mL g⁻¹).
- A stepwise nucleation mechanism was identified, significantly lowering energy barriers for gold reduction.
- Technoeconomic analysis showed high economic viability with an input-output ratio of 1370%.
Conclusions:
- The developed green sorption technique offers an effective and economically viable solution for gold recovery from e-waste.
- This approach supports the circular economy by enabling sustainable metal recovery and reducing environmental impact.
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