Tantalum Resistors

actually they just TALK about gold the most. There is silver, platinum, palladium, gold, copper, and even nickle among other metals in electronics that are recovered. ALL of those add up, but people KNOW gold and they know it's value (nevermind that platinum and palladium prices are not that much less than gold). Gold is the "standard".



The problem is right now for many elements it is cheaper to dig more up than reprocess, but that will not always be the case. They all have some value and you should take that into account when you are looking for say a refiner. I would want a cut and payout for all the metals...really even the plastic has some small value as well.

I recently got a tour of ECS refining a HUGE ewaste recycler here in California.
There is a lot more value in a board than just gold.
I noticed that at the shredded contents of boards they workers were handpicking chunks of copper bearing material out.
They had pallets and pallets of Lithium laptop batteries ready to ship etc etc.
At that volume there is a LOT of money even in the smallest components.
However, I believe no matter what, you are wasting your time breaking itty bitty parts out of boards that prob won;t even weigh a gram each.
Plus the health factor. There is a reason e-waste is classified as haz mat.