Iranian Researchers Succeed to Recover 97% of Precious Metals from Electronic Boards

“In many of electronic devices, there is a series of gold, silver and copper coatings so that the device can work by transferring current and electrons,” Ali Eskandari, the head of the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research of Tarbiat Modarres University, told ANA.

“These coatings exist in mobile phones, mobile boards, computer boards, laptops and other types of electronics, and we did a good job on a laboratory scale and got good results,” he added.

“We were able to recover over 97% of gold and silver metals from electronic boards of mobile phones. It has been a successful project in the laboratory phase and it has also been carried out in the laboratory and industrial pilot scale; this technology has been used in the recovery of precious metals like gold, silver and copper from electronic boards,” Eskandari said.

Several base and precious metals make up essential components of electronic devices. The properties of these metals make them ideal for recycling and reuse. Yet, studies have shown that only 15-20% of electronic devices are recycled. This leaves a huge untapped volume of valuable metals that could be sold or reused instead of sitting in landfills. 

Effectively recovering metals from these devices could have multiple ecological benefits from reducing the economic burden of electronics recycling to reducing the demand for mining ore.

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