Researchers from Flinders University (Australia) have created a new, environmentally safe way to extract gold. This method allows for the recovery of the precious metal not only from ore but also from electronic waste, without using dangerous substances such as cyanide or mercury.

The process begins with trichloroisocyanuric acid — a substance commonly used for cleaning swimming pools. When it comes into contact with salt water, it dissolves gold. The solution is then passed through a special polymer made from sulfur, a cheap and widely available byproduct of oil refining. This polymer captures gold even in the presence of other metals. Afterwards, gold is extracted from the polymer with high purity, while the polymer and water can be reused.

Traditional methods of gold extraction using cyanide and mercury cause significant harm to the environment and human health. The new method helps to avoid such pollution. It also opens up opportunities for “urban mining” — recovering gold from the rapidly growing volume of electronic waste (62 million tons in 2022). Although the technology still requires scaling, it represents an important step toward safer and more efficient production.

ORIENT