What new method has been developed at IIT Madras for e-waste?

Researchers at IIT Madras have developed a sustainable method to recover valuable metals from electronic waste using eco-friendly solvents derived from natural compounds.

What types of solvents are used in the new e-waste recovery method?

The method utilizes deep eutectic solvents, which are liquid mixtures made from biodegradable natural substances, such as thymol and capric acid.

What valuable materials can be recovered from e-waste using this green process?

This green process can recover valuable metals like copper and iron from e-waste, and can also be used to synthesize copper nanoparticles and pure copper metal.

Home / Science / IIT Madras Recovers Metals From E-Waste Using Nature

IIT Madras Recovers Metals From E-Waste Using Nature

31 Jan

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Summary

New eco-friendly solvents derived from natural compounds can recover metals from e-waste.
Researchers used biodegradable deep eutectic solvents to dissolve copper and iron.
This sustainable method produces valuable copper nanoparticles and pure copper metal.

IIT Madras Recovers Metals From E-Waste Using Nature

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed an innovative, sustainable method for extracting valuable metals from electronic waste. This breakthrough process employs environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvents, which are biodegradable liquid mixtures derived from natural substances.

The team successfully created a green solvent using thymol, sourced from thyme, and capric acid. This solvent demonstrated an effective ability to dissolve copper metal, paving the way for its recovery.

Subsequently, trisodium citrate, a non-toxic chemical, was used for extraction. This method allows for the direct synthesis of copper nanoparticles, which have significant industrial and technological applications.