Electronic waste concept. E-waste heap from discarded PC Computer, laptop parts. Many old PC components, motherboards, video cards, air cooler. Electronics industry, sorting and disposal of E-waste
A team of researchers from Rice University in Houston, Texas have identified a novel application for a method originally created to produce graphene – extracting valuable metals from electronic waste.
The electronic waste (or e-waste) industry poses a huge problem. Not only is the increasing digitisation of our world causing this to be our fastest growing area of waste, but many of the discarded materials contain hazardous components that cause contamination and damage to both our environment and food chain. While nations around the world are producing masses of this waste product, many offload the burden of recycling onto others, with the majority going to those in the developing world. Finding a means of recycling this waste (and doing so domestically) is crucial, and the team at Rice just may have found a way to do that.
Here, we spoke with study lead Dr. James Tour to find out more about the process, and the role it could play in the circular economy.
Breaking down the method
The process– known as the flash Joule heating method – was developed in 2018 and places a carbon source between electrodes with high voltage and high current, breaking down the carbon bonds in the process and reconstructing the carbon atoms to make graphene, all in a matter of seconds. The process operates using high temperatures, heating to 3000 Kelvin (or 2800 degrees centigrade) in less than five milliseconds. Continue reading