Scientists [in the U.S.] are currently just testing the waters with one tidal-powered generator, but if all goes swimmingly, then it might not be long until America finds more and more of its power being supplied by the ocean.
Japanese companies IHI and Toshiba have been selected by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) as co-researchers in an ocean current turbine demonstration project.
IHI and Toshiba, together with the University of Tokyo and Mitsui Global Strategic Studies Institute, have been conducting relevant research and development financed by NEDO for…
Scientists find way to extract gold from used electronics
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Hundreds of tonnes of gold could be recovered from old electronic devices, such as mobile phones, TV sets and computers each year, using a simple chemical method developed by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, UK.
To extract the gold, the team printed circuit boards, which are placed in a mild acid, dissolving all of their metal parts. An oily liquid containing the team’s chemical compound is then added, which extracts gold selectively from the complex mixture of other metals. Their findings could aid the development of methods for large-scale recovery of gold and other precious metals from waste electronics, the team says.
The new method doesn’t require the use of toxic chemicals, such as cyanide and is said to be more effective than current techniques. The extraction method could help recover about 300 tonnes of gold used in electronics each year.
Jason Love, Professor of Molecular Inorganic Chemistry at the University commented, ‘We are very excited about this discovery, especially as we have shown that our fundamental chemical studies on the recovery of valuable metals from electronic waste could have potential economic and societal benefits.’
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![Scientists [in the U.S.] are currently just testing the waters with one tidal-powered generator, bu](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6af8ca5150f9238abcaa910f2cca8467/tumblr_nradkn4YPH1ua3t28o1_640.jpg "Scientists [in the U.S.] are currently just testing the waters with one tidal-powered generator, bu")
