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Fischesserite‐Inspired Recyclable Se‐Polyurethanes for Selective Gold Extraction
Author(s) -
Dai Yiheng,
Zheng Ke,
Tan Yizheng,
Xiang Wentian,
Xianyu Banruo,
Xu Huaping
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced sustainable systems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.499
H-Index - 24
ISSN - 2366-7486
DOI - 10.1002/adsu.202000072
Subject(s) - polyurethane , extraction (chemistry) , gold extraction , selenium , materials science , aqueous solution , selenide , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , chemistry , metallurgy , organic chemistry , composite material , engineering , cyanide
Faced with ever‐severe gold mineral depletion, obtaining a sustainable gold resource by utilization of accumulating waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is of vital importance. Inspired by fischesserite, the first naturally occurring selenide of gold, a novel selenium‐containing polyurethane (Se‐polyurethane) is prepared. This material is able to extract aqueous gold in its elemental form with a selectivity 437 times over Cu 2+ and 443 times over Ni 2+ and a capacity of 802 mg gold g ‐1 . The extracted gold can be collected through a noncalcination post‐treatment procedure and the Se‐polyurethane can be recycled via a convenient regeneration procedure. Derived from this material, a high‐throughput circulating aqueous gold mining system and a crosslinked Se‐sponge are illustrated to mimic dynamic and static extraction processes, respectively for possible industrialization. These selenium‐containing materials have the potential to be a useful tool in gold extraction to help prevent future resource depletion.