E-waste: Old mobile phones can yield gold; expensive tasks can be done cheaply – learn about China's new technology..

In today's world, e-waste, or electronic waste, has become a new threat to the planet. Millions of tons of electronic waste are being generated worldwide every day. This e-waste has become a major headache for many countries, but China has discovered new opportunities in it. Extracting gold from e-waste is usually a very expensive and polluting process, but Chinese scientists have found a cheaper, eco-friendly, and faster method.

Gold at One-Third the Market Price
The most surprising aspect of this technology is its cost. According to reports, the cost of extracting one ounce of gold using this method is approximately US$1,455. Compared to the international market price in January 2026 (approximately US$4,472 per ounce), this price is less than one-third. This means that extracting gold from e-waste is now set to become a huge and profitable business.

A Miracle in Just 20 Minutes
Researchers from the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion and South China University of Technology have achieved this feat. Their technology works on the CPUs and circuit boards (PCBs) of old mobile phones. The gold separation process takes less than 20 minutes. It is capable of extracting 98.2% of the gold and 93.4% of the palladium present in the waste. It doesn't require any heavy machinery or high temperatures; it works at normal room temperature.

Urban Mining: A Boon for the Environment
Traditional gold mining methods cause significant environmental damage and involve the use of toxic chemicals. However, in this new method, scientists have used a "self-catalytic" technique. It uses a mixture of potassium peroxymonosulfate and potassium chloride, which is 93% cheaper than the traditional cyanide method and also causes less pollution. 

This technology will be a game-changer for China.
China generates more than 10 million tons of e-waste every year, including devices such as mobile phones, computers, TVs, and refrigerators. This new technology will not only enable better recovery of precious metals but also reduce reliance on mining. Experts believe that this research could shape the future of the green and advanced precious metal recovery industry.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.