Not all e-waste is equal. A kilo of plastic casings is worth very little. A kilo of processors or plated connectors can be worth a lot. If your company generates electronic scrap, knowing which parts hold precious metals helps you separate high-value material and get a fair price.
1. Integrated circuits (ICs)
ICs contain very fine gold bonding wires that connect the silicon chip to its pins. Some also have gold- or silver-plated leads.
ICs come from almost every device: computers, TVs, radar and telecom equipment, microcontrollers, memory devices, audio and microwave amplifiers, voltage regulators, calculators, clocks, timers, counters and temperature sensors.
Tip: ceramic ICs and older processors usually carry more gold than modern plastic chips. Keep them separate. See plastic ICs.
2. Processors (CPUs)
Older ceramic processors, especially from the 1990s and early 2000s, have gold-plated lids and pins. They are among the richest single items in e-scrap.
3. Circuit boards (PCBs)
Board value depends on type:
- High grade: telecom boards, server boards, boards with many ICs and gold edge connectors.
- Medium grade: desktop motherboards, network cards.
- Low grade: power supply boards, TV boards with few chips.
4. Memory cards and RAM
SD and microSD cards have gold-plated contacts and memory chips. Bulk lots of old or rejected cards from cameras, smartphones, drones and game consoles are a good source. See memory cards.
5. Connectors, pins and contacts
Connectors, edge fingers, relay contacts and switch contacts are often plated with gold or silver to prevent corrosion. They are processed by solvent extraction without needing thermal treatment.
6. Thin films
Flexible thin films appear in aerospace parts, consumer devices, medical devices, battery backup devices and energy harvesting systems. Many use precious-metal layers. See thin films.
7. Capacitors and sensors
Some multilayer ceramic capacitors contain palladium and silver. Certain sensors and electrodes, including in medical devices, contain platinum.
8. Rags, wipes and sweeps
Not an electronic part, but worth mentioning: rags, wipes, gloves and filters from electronics assembly and plating lines collect fine precious-metal dust. They can be processed by thermal reduction.
How to get the most value
- Sort before you sell. Keep ICs, CPUs, memory and high-grade boards away from low-grade scrap.
- Keep it dry and in closed bags or boxes.
- Note the quantity and take photos.
- Work with a recycler who recovers precious metals, not just a general scrap buyer.
Alchemy Recyclers in Vadodara recovers gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium and copper from all of these. Send us photos of your lot.
