The electronics recycling in Ecuador is still limited. The lack of technology requires import into developed regions, but in doing so the country loses. Electronic waste contains heavy metals that cause environmental pollution and health damage, but also possess precious metals like gold, silver and copper that can be exploited through a chemical solution. To change this dynamic recycling, Ricardo Montero , a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the National Polytechnic School , has worked for two years in a method that leverages the technological garbage. How? Reusing precious metals. Although not yet graduated, Montero has submitted the thesis proposal by three scientific papers in international conferences. In the VI International Materials Congress in Colombia in November 2011, presented preliminary data from their research. He showed the characterization of electronic waste, its contaminants and the proper way to recycle. It was also demonstrated that the process can be removed niobium, a precious metal that is used for the construction of machines and high pressure pipelines. The presence of this element was detected in teams through the electron microscope, Department of Extractive Metallurgy (Demex) where Montero university conducted its investigation. In his thesis work used 50 computers, which took the motherboards, the computer base where functional electronic system is implemented and chips, connections, processors and memory card. Why did you choose this equipment?, For printed circuit boards have a gold concentration 10 times higher than that in the richest minerals. In Demex, Montero-simulated with small quantities-the extraction of precious metals. Through a chemical solution (water and cyanide), processed precious metals. To achieve this, ground motherboards for entering the extraction column and can be processed. For the precious metal in liquid form should wait 15 days or so. With a cementation process, smelting and refining, metals can be transformed into solid and reuse. The student also developed a conceptual design of what could be a recycling plant, as its method Demex extracted 50% of precious metals. This proposal was submitted in Hydroprocess, an international conference that took place in Chile in July this year. This international event, Montero emphasized the problem of recycling technology in the country. Companies sell waste outside the country because there is not enough technology to extract metals. We finished with the thesis and a scientific article, Montero traveled to India to participate in the XXVI International Congress of Mineral Processing, where in addition to share their research, consolidated his proposal: extract precious metals in Ecuador. How to? It requires specialized technology on a large scale, such as milling equipment, separation plants furnaces for melting and refining of precious metals that are in electronic equipment. India Congress The student participated in the conference with the support of the EPN, private companies and Recycle Metal, an Ecuadorian company where he works as a technical consultant and researcher. In the event of India 2000 jobs were submitted and only 700 were accepted. Of 45 countries in Europe, Asia and America, Montero was the only representative of Ecuador. The articles of these events are held mostly by other masters or doctors.
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