These days there is a belief all over the world that one should buy gold for future investment. All big investors will suggest buying gold as the best way to invest money. but scientist ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) have developed a sustainable method to restore 22 karat gold from electronic waste using proteins made from whey, a byproduct of the dairy industry. Swiss researchers successfully recovered 450 mg of 22 karat gold from 20 discarded computer motherboards. This special research conducted by scientists at ETH Zurich has been published in the journal advanced Materials.

How 20 discarded motherboards are hiding 22 carat gold!

According to a joint report by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) International Telecommunication Union (ITU)The world will generate a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022. There is literally a mine of gold in these scraps. Electronic devices such as motherboards usually sell more expensive because of the use of gold in their connectors and circuit paths due to its superior conductivity and corrosion resistance. Researchers at ETH Zurich have confirmed in their study that by processing just 20 old computer motherboards, they can recover 450 mg of high purity, 22 karat gold. The number could be larger if the amount of discarded motherboards is high.

Whey to Wealth: Using Dairy Byproducts to Extract Precious Metals

The most incredible part of the Swiss research is the use of whey, a common liquid byproduct of the cheese making industry. Whey protein, traditionally considered a waste product, has been transformed by scientists into a highly efficient ‘protein sponge’ capable of extracting gold from discarded electronic scrap like motherboards.As cited by ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), researchers denatured whey proteins under high temperatures and acid to create tiny fibers, called amyloid fibrils. These nanometer sized fibers were freeze dried to make sponges. When this sponge is placed in a solution of a dismantled computer motherboard, it acts like a molecular magnet.

Profitable and green future e-waste recycling

The success story of Swiss researchers on the protein-sponge method signals a change in the way we look at global waste streams. By solving the extraction principle that high-purity gold can be recovered using organic materials instead of toxic chemicals, researchers have laid the foundation for a truly green and profitable circular economy. This study transforms e-waste from a growing environmental liability to a beneficial resource.

How is this discovery of 22 carat gold a win for the global economy?

According to an economic analysis provided by ETH Zurich, the value of the 450 mg of 22 karat gold recovered far exceeds the costs associated with its extraction. Furthermore, the cost of energy and raw materials is approximately 50 times less than the market value of the gold obtained. This profit-to-cost margin makes the technology highly attractive to scale up commercially, as it provides a faster and cheaper way to extract gold from deep earth ores.