Is it profitable to recycle gold?
With gold at over $1,300 an ounce, it is profitable to recycle gold *IF* you’re able to get a large enough volume of high gold content equipment. Unfortunately, people within the industry also know this, so gold bearing items are a pretty competitive market. On top of the competitiveness, you also need to deal with the refiners.
Is it possible to recover gold from electronics?
It’s certainly possible to recover gold from electronics, but that is generally not done by trying to melt the gold. Instead, chemical processes are used. It’s a fairly complex and lengthy procedure, but if you’re doing this processing in bulk it can yield enough to be worthwhile.
Is it possible to make money with gold in electronics?
It doesn't take much gold to make a lot of money... and electronics is one of the bigger users of gold. There's a lot of obsolete electronics out there with TVs, computers, phones having lives of 5 years or less.
Is it profitable to extract gold from a cell phone?
According to the report, 1 metric ton of cell phone handsets could yield 340 grams of gold — enough to bring in a sizable profit for anyone utilizing the proper resources for handling large-scale recycling and extracting precious metals from mobile phones. Yes it is very profitable if done on a larger scale.
Is recovering gold from electronics worth it?
Is extracting gold from e-waste profitable?
Is gold in electronics worth anything?
Is scrapping gold from computers worth it?
Is e-waste a good business profitable?
How much gold can you extract from electronics?
How do you reclaim gold from electronics?
- Collect your scraps. In phones, most of the gold is in the SIM card, the main board and the smaller components on the back of the LCD screen. ...
- Strip out the boards. Place your circuit boards in a glass vessel. ...
- Collect the flakes. ...
- Melt the gold.
What electronics have pure gold in them?
- Remotes of All Kinds. ...
- Old Stereo Components. ...
- VCRs, CD Players and DVD players. ...
- Older CB, Ham, and Shortwave Radios. ...
- Two Ways to Collect Quantities of these Devices to Recycle.
How much gold is on a motherboard?
Does electronic devices have gold in them?
How much gold is in a processor?
How much gold can you get out of a computer?
Recycling gold from e-waste is a great alternative to consigning old electronics to landfills
According to a United Nations report published in 2019 the world produces as much as 50 million tonnes (metric tons) of electronic waste every year.
Can You Make Money From E-Waste Mining?
So here is the big question: is it profitable to recycle gold from e-waste?
What Happens To Your Old Electronics
If you’re just hearing about e-waste mining now, you’re probably wondering what’s been happening to your electronics all these years?
Environmental Benefits of Recovering Gold From E-Waste
We’ve talked a lot about how much money you can make by recycling old electronics, but let’s look deeper at the environmental benefits. After all, we only have one planet.
Start Recycling Your E-Waste Gold!
After reading this article you should have a better understanding of how to mine gold from e-waste. But rather than try to extract the gold on your own you can take your old electronics to a company that specializes in this type of recycling where they can be disposed of safely.
How long does it take for gold foil to come off PCBs?
As the etching goes on, this next step calls for your patience. The gold foils will take a bit of time to come off the PCBs. It will take a few days, and once you start noticing the gold foils floating, you’d have to wait at least one more day to be sure that all the nickel has dissolved off the gold foils.
How to get gold out of coffee filter?
Extract the gold foils stuck on the coffee filter, then add some water at the top with the filter turned inside out over a clean cup– this will push the gold of the filter into the cup. Allow the gold to settle at the bottom of the cup, then get as much water out as possible. Next, let the remaining water evaporate out, and you will be left with just gold. You could use a glass vial rather than a cup for this last process to prevent the gold from sticking on to the cup.
Is gold recovery hazardous?
First, you need to bear in mind that the chemicals used in this gold recovery procedure are hazardous, meaning that you need to put your safety first at all times.
What is gold used for?
Over more recent decades, gold found its way into industrial applications and electronic devices. Its superior electric conductivity characteristics made it a metal of choice for plating connectors on electronic boards found in the appliances and electronic devices we use.
Why is gold recovery important?
The amount of gold to be recovered is tiny compared to the size of the electronic boards being recycled. This means that the extraction plant will need plenty of room for storing scrap boards.
What is a large scale recycling and extraction operation?
A large-scale recycling and extraction operation requires a constant supply of raw material for extraction, in this case, electronic boards. The material often comes from other regions or even countries, which drastically increases the operation’s carbon footprint.
What is the investment required to ensure the operation is 100% compliant with all the rules and regulations?
A sizeable investment must be made to ensure the operation is 100% compliant with all the rules and regulations, and much of that investment is the cost of hiring professional chemists and personal to handle the refining process and disposable waste.
What is the chemical that separates gold from metal?
For the successful extraction of gold from that mixture, sodium cyanide is a crucial chemical. Using an electricity source, electrolysis separates gold particles and binds them to a metal rod. This method’s main downside is the ultra dangerous sodium cyanide and the damage it causes to humans. Both methods have serious safety ...
What is the story behind gold?
It is nearly impossible to tell the story of human civilization without mentioning gold. The bright, shiny, yellow metal tells quite a story , from being used as a currency in early times to becoming a status symbol in jewelry and decorations in more modern times. It is the metal that sparked massive migrations across continents ...
Can you extract gold from old electronics?
The extraction of gold from old electronic components and electronic boards is not a new process. To be precise, two distinct chemical methods are used for extracting gold from old electronics.
Is Recovering Scrap Gold from Computers and Electronics Worth It?
As a matter of fact, a ton of computer circuit board and micro chips contains as much as 800 times more gold than what is obtainable in one ton of gold. The good thing about this process is that it would only cost you about 20 US Dollars to recover 1oz. worth of scrap gold and the value of this can be as high as 300 US Dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
A computer is known to contain about 0.2 grams of gold, valued at about $12. Each laptop has 0.006 grams of gold, and you’d need 7,500 such devices to get a kilo of gold.
Why are precious metals better than alloys?
The primary reason is that precious metals conduct electricity much better than alloys.
How do retired devices find value?
There are three ways that a retired device can find value in a new life: resale of the whole device, resale of its parts, or resale of the material once it has been shredded. The path that any given device takes depends on its condition, how modern its components are, storage and RAM capacity, and other factors.
How much e-waste is there in the world?
Beyond that, e-waste is beginning to overwhelm the world. In 2019, nearly 54 million tons of e-waste was disposed of worldwide. That’s expected to grow by 2 million tons every year between now and 2030. Meanwhile, only 17.4 percent of globally generated e-waste was collected or recycled in 2019.
What is it called when you collect e-waste?
Individuals and companies that gather the amount of e-waste needed to make it pay are sometimes called “urban miners, ” and they do it full time.
Is electronic waste toxic?
Second, the heavy metals, batteries and other materials in electronic devices are often toxic and can contaminate groundwater near landfills if they’re disposed of in regular waste. That in turn becomes a human health risk to the surrounding community. Beyond that, e-waste is beginning to overwhelm the world.
How to recover gold from electronics?
Recover the pure gold. Drain your refining solution into a glass storage container for future use. Allow any remaining chemicals to evaporate off of the gold, then wash the gold thoroughly with water. Now you have successfully refined gold from electronics scrap.
What precious metals can be recovered from electronics?
People are often amazed to learn how much precious metal is lost whenever they throw away their old electronic devices. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium can all be recovered from circuits and processors of electronics. Of all the precious metals, gold is the one most frequently recovered and refined from electronics.
How much gold is in Aqua Regina?
It may be 12k or 18k gold, so now we will refine it to be pure 24k fine gold. Take a second beaker and pour it half full of Aqua Regina. Be very careful. Aqua Regina will burn through human tissue, so wear thick rubber gloves and take proper safety precautions.
What happens when you dissolve gold in an electrolyte solution?
The electrolyte solution you made will dissolve the gold from the scrap, and the positive charge in the gold will cause it to attract to the negatively charged steel. All of the gold in the electronics scrap will form onto the steel, where it can be peeled off and set aside until you have enough to refine. Advertisement.
What is the electrolyte solution?
The electrolyte is a solution that acts as a chemical bath for your precious metal, as well as a conductor of electricity. Make the electrolyte by pouring a mixture of 70 percent sodium cyanide (NaCN), 15 percent sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and 15 percent sodium meta nitro benzene sulphonate.
Why are older electronics better than older electronics?
Generally speaking, older electronics work better because enhanced manufacturing processes use less gold than older electronics, so an old 386 or 486 computer, for example, contains more gold than a modern computer. Old analog cell phones also contain more precious metal than newer digital phones. Of course, new electronics also have gold ...
Can you reverse plate with a rectifier?
Instead of using a battery for the reverse electroplating, you can also use a rectifier, which will allow you to reverse plate for longer periods of time without worrying about your battery draining.
How You Can Literally ‘Mine’ Gold from E-Waste
Can You Make Money from E-Waste Mining?
- So here is the big question: is it profitable to recycle gold from e-waste? A new report found that the amount of global e-waste could reach 74 million metric tonsby the year 2030. This is a doubling of e-waste over the span of 16 years. People are also consuming more electronics in their lifetimes, including smartphones, high-definition television...
What Happens to Your Old Electronics
- If you’re just hearing about e-waste mining now, you’re probably wondering what’s been happening to your electronics all these years? For many years old electronics ended up in garbage heaps and landfills. This was wasteful because often parts of an older model can still be used. It’s also harmful to the environment. More recently, consumers began recycling their old electronics. Maj…
Environmental Benefits of Recovering Gold from E-Waste
- We’ve talked a lot about how much money you can make by recycling old electronics, but let’s look deeper at the environmental benefits. After all, we only have one planet. Here are the reasons homes and businesses should recyclee-waste. First, any time waste can be diverted from a landfill or incinerator is a win for the environment. Burning trash causes air pollution and leaving it in lan…
Start Recycling Your E-Waste Gold!
- After reading this article you should have a better understanding of how to mine gold from e-waste. But rather than try to extract the gold on your own you can take your old electronics to a company that specializes in this type of recyclingwhere they can be disposed of safely. Potomac eCycle has been in the business of recycling old electronics since 2008. We have recycled over f…
Is Recovering Gold from Electronics Worth It?
How to Extract Gold from Electronics
- This is one of the simplest procedures on how to extract gold from electronics. It is also a rather dangerous process, which is why you should never start off the gold extraction process from electronics without the use of the right equipment or the right knowledge of the process. You could think of it as an effective but also dangerous science project. If you choose to stay on boa…
Step 1 –Take Relevant Precautionary Measures
- First, you need to bear in mind that the chemicals used in this gold recovery procedure are hazardous, meaning that you need to put your safety first at all times. It’s also important to note that in as much as this gold recovery process makes use of household chemicals, that doesn’t mean that the steps of the chemicals used are safe for your skin. Therefore, you should conside…
Step 2 – Gather Necessary Chemicals, Apparatus, and All Your Safety Equipment.
- The required safety items include rubber gloves, goggles, a well-ventilated space, a gas mask, or a respirator.
Step 3 – Preparation
- This step involves getting ready the pieces of electronics that you’ll be extracting the gold from. So, take the electronics you are interested in, then pull out the PCBs – lookout for the gold color on the PCBs. If you notice gold on the PCB, strip off all the PCB’s components. You could also break it apart for it to fit in a beaker.
Step 4 – Cleaning The PCBs
- For this step, you need to clean and rinse the PCBs under running water, then dry the piece thoroughly.
Step 5 – Make The Etching Solution
- For the etching solution, you will need the toilet bowl cleaner and hydrogen peroxide. Mix these two chemicals in equal parts, making sure you have enough of the mixed solution to be able to submerge the PCBs fully. Once you have your solution, you’d have to submerge the PCBs in the solution. Again, make sure that the PCBs elements are submerged fully. Why is it called the etchi…
Step 6 – The Wait
- As the etching goes on, this next step calls for your patience. The gold foils will take a bit of time to come off the PCBs. It will take a few days, and once you start noticing the gold foils floating, you’d have to wait at least one more day to be sure that all the nickel has dissolved off the gold foils.
Step 7 –Extraction of The Gold Foils
- Now that the nickel has dissolved from the gold foils, the next step would be to extract the gold foils. To do this, you’ll need a large soda bottle to collect the etching solution. You need to do this even if you’ve diluted the etching solution with water, and it must be disposed of appropriately. Next, remove the PCBs, then scrape off any gold foils attached to the PCBs – have your rubber g…
Step 8 – Filter The Gold Foils out.
- Filter the gold foils through a coffee filter placed over a cup. Be careful not to rip the filter. The excess water should be disposed of properly.
Method of Extraction
High Cost of Entry
- The machines, lab equipment, protective gear, and chemicals needed for gold recovery from electronics are expensive, making it nearly impossible for an amateur to start a small-scale refinement business. A sizeable investment must be made to ensure the operation is 100% compliant with all the rules and regulations, and much of that investment is th...
The Scale of The Operation
- Another concern is creating economies of scale to pay back the investment and run a profitable refining business. The amount of gold to be recovered is tiny compared to the size of the electronic boards being recycled. This means that the extraction plant will need plenty of room for storing scrap boards. Simultaneously, such an operation would require plenty of worker hours, a…
Environmental and Safety Concerns
- We already mentioned the dangerous extraction methods that release toxic chemicals. An even more significant challenge is the need to have a reliable system for disposing of the toxic waste created during the extraction process. This system will need to follow strict guidelines for hazardous waste disposal, including reducing personnel safety hazards. On a side note, environ…
Availability of Scrap Metal and Electronic Boards
- Perhaps the biggest challenge that an extraction operation can face is securing a constant supply of materials. This can be extremely challenging unless the recycling operation has contracts with factories producing electronic components. Additionally, shipping in electronic boards from electronic waste facilities in the region requires logistics and storage space. The expensive mac…
Logistic
- As the operation grows, logistics will become more and more critical. The number of electronic boards and components needed to keep the industrial process going is huge, often requiring owners to seek raw materials from outside of their region. This, in turn, increases shipping costs and creates a new problem: the need for storage of raw materials. A quality logistics system wo…
Integrated Recycling Approach
- While we are focusing on gold in this blog, it is crucial to mention that the amount of gold in electronic boards and components is minuscule and absolutely dwarfed by other metals. Creating an extraction operation that can separate other metals – such as silver, platinum, copper, or palladium – is a great way to increase the organization’s profitability. By recycling various metal…
Availability of Trained Workforce
- Getting qualified people to join your operation is always a challenge. Recycling and extraction operations are often located in rural areas or areas where such operations can cause the least damage to the local environment. The staffing needed for the extraction process requires qualified labor, including workers with college degrees in chemistry or similar. Persuading colleg…
Legal Concerns
- Protecting the environment and creating sustainable businesses are topics on all major governments’ agendas worldwide. To enforce laws and regulations, government inspectors and auditors will frequently visit the facility, take samples, look at machinery, and examine everything in and around the facility. The penalties for violating the rules and regulations can be steep. Stay…