英國萊斯特大學的科學家們開發了一種從舊太陽能電池板中回收金屬銀的新方法。

Both silver and aluminium are typically recovered from solar panels which have reached the end of their useful lives. The metals are then reused. For that though scientists normally use water with sodium chloride, table salt, in it. But the process is toxic and expensive.

銀和鋁通常都是從報廢的太陽能電池板中回收的。然后這些金屬被重新利用。為此，科學家通常用含氯化鈉（食鹽）的水來進行回收，但該過程既有毒又昂貴。

Now, researchers here in Britain have found a way to use iron chloride and aluminium chloride dissolved in brines or solvents to extract the metals instead. The brines are cheap and environmentally friendly, and the process retrieves more than 90 percent of the silver and aluminium in ten minutes.

現在，英國的研究人員找到了一種方法，用溶解在鹽水或溶劑里的氯化鐵和氯化鋁作為替代，從而提取金屬。這種鹽水溶劑既便宜又環保，而且在十分鐘內就能回收90%以上的銀和鋁。

The researchers are now trying to apply the same approach to other metals from different sources of waste, such as smartphones, thermoelectric materials and magnets.

研究人員目前正試圖用同樣的方法從不同的廢物來源，如智能手機、熱電材料和磁鐵中提取其它金屬。

詞匯表

recovered 回收
toxic 有毒的
brines 鹽水
solvents 溶劑
retrieves 取回，回收
thermoelectric 熱電的

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. Which metals are typically recovered from solar panels?

2. What are the issues with using water and sodium chloride to extract metals?

3. What are the benefits of using brines as an alternative?

4. How long does it take the brines to extract 90 percent of the silver and aluminium?

答案  

1. Which metals are typically recovered from solar panels?
Silver and aluminium are typically recovered.

2. What are the issues with using water and sodium chloride to extract metals?
The process is toxic and expensive.

3. What are the benefits of using brines as an alternative?
Using brines as an alternative is cheap and environmentally friendly.

4. How long does it take the brines to extract more than 90 percent of the silver and aluminium?
It takes ten minutes to recover more than 90 percent of silver and aluminium.