Scrap from gold

Book excerpt: All new revised 2023 edition! A daily growing number of people have access to sources of scrap with precious content. Knowing the composition of this material can increase it ́s value tremendously for the owner. Many types of gold scrap is available for free, so that the initial risk for start-ups is minimal. Even just collecting precious scrap like electronic waste is no waste of time, because it can be resold under today ́s market conditions. It is hard to believe, that there still could be individuals or organisations out there, that ship and unload their e-waste in far away countries and leave all those values behind. The truth rather is, that the race for the recovery of precious metals in urban enviroments has begun. This new goldrush won ́t last forever, but the tidal wave that it will cause, will be as big as the wave that once pumped up the electronic market who produced these items. What goes up, must come down. The new gold rush doesn ́t take place in remote places, it will take place in urban areas, where most valuable scrap is concentrated. That offers new opportunities for smart people in the years to come. This book gives a compact overview of the most common sources of precious metals in an urban enviroment, how they yield and how to proceed after collecting them. Mechanical and chemical procedures are presented without expecting too much foreknowledge. It further discusses related social and financial issues.