Recovery of precious metals from E-waste by membranes of nanocellulose and porous organic polymers (ReNaPOP)

The ever-increasing production of electronic devices generates a huge amount of E-waste. However, most of the E-waste is dumped or burned with only 20% being properly recycled.

UN reported that at least $10 billion worth of gold, palladium, platinum and other precious metals in E-waste are dumped every year.

This project aims at developing sustainable, renewable, and biodegradable membranes based on cellulose and porous organic polymers for selectively capture of precious metal ions from aqueous solution at ultralow concentrations that can be applied for precious metal recovery from E-waste by environmentally friendly approaches.

The development of such efficient, cost-effective and sustainable membranes for precious metal recovery with potentially high profit margin will greatly promote the development of E-waste recycling industry and associated technologies. This can ultimately contribute to promoting a circular economy and sustainable use of valuable resources.