E-Paper
Man extracts 191 grams of gold worth ₹26 lakh from discarded SIM cards and e-waste
Qiao has said that his video was not meant to showcase “alchemy” but was simply sharing his work.
A man in China is making headlines for allegedly extracting gold from discarded SIM cards. He claimed that he removed 191 grams of gold so far. However, he was also warned of safety risks.
According to a report by South China Morning Post, the man, known as Qiao on social media, hails from Huizhou, Guangdong province. He specialises in refining precious scrap metal, and one of his gold-extraction videos has garnered over 5 million views on Chinese social media.
In the clip, Qiao is seen immersing SIM cards in chemical barrels and carrying out a series of reactions, including corrosion, displacement, and heating, to extract gold. After filtering and heating, he eventually recovers around 191 grams of gold worth nearly 200,000 yuan (approximately ₹26 lakh), as reported by SCMP.
Qiao said that he used nearly two tonnes of scrap to refine the gold, which did not solely come from SIM cards, but from a mix of chip waste in the telecommunications electronics industry. “To ensure stability and corrosion resistance, key parts of the SIM cards are gold-plated,” he said.
According to the report, a standard SIM card typically contains less than 0.01 grams of gold. Other gold-containing waste materials, including bank card chips and communication device contact components, can also be recycled.
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How did social media react?
On Chinese social media, Qiao has been dubbed the “Alchemist”.
“When I ran an internet cafe, I threw away lots of computer chip waste. Now I regret missing out on all that gold,” one user commented. “Qiao is professional. Alchemy has a high chemical threshold,” said another.
Qiao also inspired others to extract gold from SIM cards, as many people reportedly rushed to buy discarded cards on mainland resale platforms.
However, Qiao has said that his video was not meant to showcase “alchemy” but was simply sharing his work. “I am legally refining specific electronic waste with certification, and my goal is to share my skill,” he said.
He also warned that amateurs should not attempt this process as it could pose safety risks and even be illegal.
