Itronics Updates Its Silver-Gold and Copper Mine Technology Application Development Plans
August 13 2013 - 9:10AM
Marketwired
Itronics Inc. (PINKSHEETS: ITRO) is today updating its technology
developments and plans with a focus on potential applications for
silver-gold mines that have a silver to gold ratio exceeding 4 to 1
in the ore. The Company believes that its technology may also prove
to be applicable to certain copper-gold-silver deposits where the
use of cyanide is not feasible, or not legally permissible, or
where existing copper heap leaching technology would not recover
associated gold and silver.
Itronics is reviewing potential uses for the de-silvered
photoliquids in silver-gold ore processing where the de-silvered
liquids would be used to neutralize cyanide tailings or to replace
cyanide. Itronics strips the metals out of photoliquids from the
photo industry or X-rays, and uses the remaining de-silvered
liquids to make award winning, environmentally beneficial GOLD'n
GRO fertilizers.
Itronics has assembled historical data from silver and gold
mining reports as far back as the middle 1800s which indicate that
the Company's technologies may be useable to improve operating
results at existing silver-gold mines that use cyanidation recovery
technology and for silver-gold mines that would use cyanidation
recovery technology and are in the planning and development
stage.
The potential benefits of the Company's technologies in
silver-gold mines include: (1) improved silver and gold recovery,
(2) reduced cyanide consumption and related costs, (3)
environmentally attractive cyanide tailings remediation, and (4)
potential for remediation and recycling of certain mine waste
streams. Improvements in recovery and cost savings are equivalent
to mine expansion for which the value can be calculated, providing
a basis for measuring the value of the technologies at specific
mine operations. Itronics is moving in this direction by seeking
joint venture opportunities with existing and planned projects.
Several years ago Itronics conducted a series of laboratory
tests that confirmed that the de-silvered photoliquids readily
solubize copper. Because of these tests and from information in
historical literature, the Company believes that its de-silvered
photoliquids may be used to recover copper, gold, and silver from
certain types of oxidized copper-gold-silver deposits and would be
used instead of the sulfuric acid recovery process presently in
use. The sulfuric acid process does not recover gold and silver so
the new process would offer benefits similar to those which may be
achieved in silver-gold mines. These are (1) improved recoveries,
(2) potential for reduction in reagent consumption, (3)
environmentally attractive tailings remediation, and (4) potential
for remediation and recycling of certain mine waste streams.
Itronic's majority owned subsidiary, Auric Gold & Minerals,
owns the 6,000 acre Fulstone Iron Oxide Copper Gold project in
Nevada and continues to focus on gaining a better understanding of
the project area's structural geology and the scope of occurrence
of potentially recoverable minerals with the objective of defining
specific targets for initial exploratory drilling. Near the
Fulstone project in the Yerington Mining District are major
copper-gold-silver deposits, some of which will be developed for
heap leaching that are in the development stage, making the
Fulstone Project area strategically attractive.
The GOLD'n GRO fertilizers produced by Itronics are highly
suited for use in mine re-vegetation and can easily be incorporated
into virtually any mine remediation plan.
The Company's technical services subsidiary, Whitney &
Whitney, Inc., has more than 20 years' experience with cyanide
applications in gold and silver mining, and more than 23 years'
experience with the use of complex thiosulfate chemistry in liquid
fertilizers, including application of the fertilizers to the soil,
and the mechanisms for making nutrients from the fertilizers
available to plant roots through the soil. Dr. John Whitney, the
Company's President, has authored or co-authored several
publications about the economics of the production side of the
copper industry including exploration, development, production,
smelting and refining, and marketing in the worldwide copper
industry. This experience makes the Company highly qualified to
develop mining applications for the de-silvered photoliquids in
silver-gold and copper.
"We believe this effort could be of significant importance for
both our Company and its shareholders and stakeholders," Dr.
Whitney said.
The silver refined by Itronics is recovered from spent photo
liquids, a highly acclaimed environmentally "Green" and beneficial
process. The de-silvered photo liquids are converted to ingredients
for use in manufacturing the Award Winning line of GOLD'n GRO
liquid fertilizers. This technology maximizes sustainability by
converting all of the silver-bearing photographic liquid waste into
commercial goods for sale. There is no waste of any raw materials,
including water, when this process is used. The manufacturing plant
that operates this technology is a fully permitted "zero discharge"
facility. The Company plans to use a similar environmental
technology approach in mining.
About Itronics:
Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Itronics Inc. is a "Creative
Clean Technology" company that produces 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, and is developing the Fulstone Iron Oxide Copper Gold
exploration property in Nevada.
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. Its 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
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