Scientists Uncover Easy, Cheap Way to Extract Gold from E-Waste in 20 Minutes

• Researchers in China developed a revolutionary method to extract gold and palladium from electronic waste.
• The new technique extracts over 98.2% of gold from mobile phone CPUs and circuit boards in under 20 minutes at room temperature.
• This method is significantly cheaper, costing nearly one-third of traditional gold recovery processes.
• It uses a simple, non-toxic solution of potassium peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and potassium chloride (KCl), avoiding harmful chemicals.
• The process is self-catalytic, meaning the metals themselves activate the reaction, making extraction efficient and environmentally friendly.

Why It Matters: New Chinese research offers a fast, cheap, and eco-friendly way to recover gold from e-waste.