Overview

• An interdisciplinary team led by Professor Justin Chalker developed a leaching reagent based on trichloroisocyanuric acid, a common water disinfectant, to dissolve gold from waste and ore.
• A novel sulfur-rich polymer selectively binds dissolved gold and releases it upon heating, allowing the polymer to be recycled and reused.
• Laboratory tests confirmed the method’s ability to recover high-purity gold from printed circuit boards, mixed-metal electronic waste and ore concentrates without using cyanide or mercury.
• By replacing toxic cyanide and mercury the process aims to curb environmental contamination and reduce health risks linked to conventional gold mining.
• The researchers plan to collaborate with mining and e-waste recycling operations to conduct large-scale trials and evaluate commercial viability.