Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39437616›Full record

ArticleUltrasonics sonochemistry2024

Gold removal from e-waste using high-intensity focused ultrasound.

Axi Holmström, Topi Pudas, Jere Hyvönen, Martin Weber, Kenichiro Mizohata, Tom Sillanpää, Joni Mäkinen, Antti Kuronen, Tapio Kotiaho, Edward Hæggström and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Ultrasonics sonochemistry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Axi HolmströmElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: axi.holmstrom@helsinki.fi.
Topi PudasElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Jere HyvönenElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Martin WeberElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Kenichiro MizohataAccelerator Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 43, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Tom SillanpääElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Drug Research Program and Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 56, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Joni MäkinenElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Antti KuronenAccelerator Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 43, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Tapio KotiahoDrug Research Program and Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 56, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B 55, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Edward HæggströmElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Ari SalmiElectronics Research Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O.B. 64, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The demand for rare and precious metals (RPMs), e.g. gold, is increasing, as these are used in the ever-increasing amount of electronics needed for technological development and digitalization. Due to their rarity, virgin mining of RPMs is becoming more difficult and expensive. At the same time, over 62Mt of e-waste is created globally each year. The high concentration of gold and other RPMs in e-waste makes it an excellent source for recycling. Unfortunately, current recycling methods need to separate the different metals and the current pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes also create toxic pollutants, large amounts of wastewater and require highly corrosive substances. Here we present a new method for gold removal for the purpose of recycling, using only water and high-intensity focused ultrasound to induce material erosion through cavitation. An 11.8MHz ultrasonic transducer is used to first image the sample to locate gold-coated pads on discarded printed circuit boards (PCBs) and subsequently to remove only the gold layer. We demonstrate that the gold removal can be controlled by the number of transmitted ultrasonic bursts and that the energy efficiency is optimal when only minute amounts of the nickel layer beneath are also removed. Removing solely the gold layer also decreases the need for further processing steps. This greener gold removal method for e-waste is therefore well aligned with, and contributing to, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Indexed as

CavitationCavitation erosionE-waste recyclingHigh-intensity focused ultrasoundUN SDG 12Urban mining

Identifiers

PMID39437616
PMCPMC11532776

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.