New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) A team of Austrian scientists has identified a beer byproduct that is an eco-friendly and low-cost method to help recycle electronic waste.
Recycling electronic waste has been a difficult task as it’s hard to separate the different metals like copper, zinc and aluminium in the waste from each other.
The team from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, used the spent brewer’s yeast, which is left over from manufacturing beer, to help cull out metal from waste streams.
“Electronic waste is difficult to recycle because it is very heterogeneous,” said Dr. Klemens Kremser from the varsity and corresponding author of the article published in the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology.
“Getting the metals in solution is a first step, but the selective recovery of the metals remains a challenge. Compared to processes such as chemical precipitation, biosorption using spent brewer’s yeast presents a cheap and environmentally friendly approach,” Kremser added.
The team explained that the metals were selected from waste via a process called adsorption, where electrostatic interactions on the surface of the yeast allow metal ions to stick to the surface.
To help the yeast to adsorb more or different metal ions, the scientists changed the pH of the solution.
Using 20 litres of spent brewer’s yeast, they were able to recover more than 50 per cent of aluminium, over 40 per cent of copper, and more than 70 per cent of zinc.
Over 50 per cent of copper and over 90 per cent of zinc were retrieved from the polymetallic waste stream they tested the yeast on.
“The metals can be removed from the yeast surface by acid treatment and thus could be recycled. It would be interesting to investigate potential applications for these reclaimed metals,” said Anna Sieber, a doctoral student at an Austrian metallurgical research centre.
Importantly, the team were able to recycle the yeast itself without heavily impacting its ability to recover metal. They used the same yeast five times to recover different metals.
–IANS
rvt/uk
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.