Newspaper could be used to recover precious metals such as platinum and palladium that would have been wasted.

Researchers in Japan claim to have created a gel from newspaper that filters out platinum and palladium, as well as gold, in preference to other metals.

The scientists from Saga University formed the gel by combining newspaper with p-amino benzoic acid.

If the research can be applied to industry it could provide valuable savings in efficiency.

Precious metals are often wasted as current methods are expensive and often struggle to remove waste products during the process, according to reports from Chemistry World.

Jarek Drelich, an expert in materials science at Michigan Technological University, believes the technology could benefit both the paper recycling industry and the hydrometallurgical industry.

The gel could recover as much as 90 per cent of platinum, palladium and gold and is fully reusable.



Source:

Newspaper filters out gold, 04/08/08
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2008/09/Newspaper_filters_gold.asp