Itronics Starts Up Stage I Silver Refinery Expansion to Increase Refining Capacity by 10 Times; Technology Milestone Achieved
August 25 2010 - 1:28PM
Marketwired
Itronics Inc. (PINKSHEETS: ITRO) reported today that its wholly
owned subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., has begun start up
of its Stage I silver refinery expansion which should increase
silver refining capacity by 10 times, with sales capacity
increasing from $440,000 to $4.4 million at current silver prices.
"The start up of the Stage I leaching circuit is underway," said
Dr. John Whitney, Itronics President. "Getting this revolutionary
new technology operation launched represents a major milestone for
the Company."
The Stage I expansion will increase silver refining capacity to
240,000 ounces per year by increasing the per melt capacity of the
refining operation by 10 times with no increase in per melt cost.
This produces a 90 percent decrease of the per melt cost of each
ounce of silver produced. At current silver prices of $18.50 per
ounce, annual silver bullion sales capacity would increase from
$440,000 to more than $4 million.
Silver output is expected to increase as GOLD'n GRO liquid
fertilizer sales increase, and from utilization of new
silver-bearing raw material feed sources made possible by the
revolutionary new FeLix and SuLix leaching technology developed by
Itronics.
The Company will now focus on integrating the new unit operation
fully into its overall operations and on expanding silver
output.
Itronics Metallurgical has identified two other potential
applications where the FeLix and SuLix processes could reduce
processing costs and reduce waste by profitably converting material
presently being wasted into commercial products. These important
silver-bearing materials are:
1. Steel wool (ion exchange) cartridges which are widely used in the United
States to perform on site silver removal from photographic liquids at
user sites where off site hauling is not required. Both iron and silver
would be recovered. This is a large source of iron and photo silver with
millions of ounces of silver being recovered annually in these
cartridges in the United States. The Company has business linkages in
place that will make it possible to source these materials in desired
quantities when it is appropriate for the Company to do so.
2. Processing the cores of non-mercury bearing silver batteries to recover
potassium, zinc, and Silver. Zinc silver batteries are primarily used in
military and space applications, but some new technology zinc silver
batteries are being developed for use in portable computers. If these
new technologies get adopted, then there will be a large increase in
zinc silver battery usage world-wide and an associated need for zinc
silver battery recycling services.
About Itronics Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Itronics is a
Cleantech Specialty Fertilizer and Silver Company that produces the
Award Winning GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizers and pure silver
bullion. Itronics, through its subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical,
Inc., is the only company with a fully permitted "Beneficial Use
photochemical, Silver, and Water Recycling" plant in the United
States that converts spent photoliquids into pure silver and GOLD'n
GRO liquid fertilizers. The Company is developing environmentally
compatible mining technology, provides project planning and
technical services to the gold mining industry, and operates the
popular InsideMetals.com web site, http://www.insidemetals.com,
which provides a value-added WORLD VIEW of Gold Producer Stocks,
Mineral Producer Stocks, Junior Gold Stocks, and Junior Mineral
Stocks.
Itronics has received numerous domestic and international awards
that recognize its ability to successfully create and implement new
environmentally clean recycling and fertilizer technologies.
The Company's environmentally friendly GOLD'n GRO liquid
fertilizers, which are extensively used in agriculture, can be used
for lawns and houseplants, and are available, along with liquid
fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store" catalog at
http://goldngro.com. The popular Silver Nevada Miner bars are
available at the Company's "e-store" catalog at
http://www.itromet.com.
VISIT OUR WEB SITE: http://www.itronics.com
("Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains or may contain
forward-looking statements such as statements regarding the
Company's growth and profitability, growth strategy, liquidity and
access to public markets, operating expense reduction, and trends
in the industry in which the Company operates. The forward-looking
statements contained in this press release are also subject to
other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described
in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update these
forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in
risks, uncertainties or assumptions underlying or affecting such
statements, or for prospective events that may have a retroactive
effect.)
Contact: Paul Knopick 888-795-6336
Itronics (CE) (USOTC:ITRO)
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