Development of Silver from Used X-Ray Films and Graphene from Drained Cassava Starch

Abstract

This project discusses the development of silver and graphene from waste materials such as used X-ray films and drained cassava starch. This silver was extracted from X-ray film through a stripping process where all the elements were bleached off the film after which the sludge in the solution was allowed to settle before siphoning the water and finally heating the sludge. The graphene was developed from starch drained from cassava water, the cassava water was collected, sieved, and dried to collect the starch, after which Conc. H2SO4 was added to the starch to convert it to graphene. Hence, the SEM and EDS analysis of the extracted metals were carried out to determine the morphology, structure, and elemental composition. These analyses confirmed the extraction of silver and graphene from wastes as described above. Thus, these wastes were used to mitigate their extraction from their ore, which in turn would reduce exploration of its ore thereby conserving these raw materials.