ITRONICS ADVANCES ROCK KLEEN
TAILINGS PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
PRESENTS ADVANTAGES AND GROWTH
OPPORTUNITES
RENO, NV -- April 2, 2020 -- InvestorsHub NewsWire
-- Itronics Inc.
(OTC:ITRO),
an emerging "Clean Tech Materials" growth Company that produces
GOLD'n GRO Multi-Nutrient Fertilizers and Silver, is providing an
update on its proprietary Rock Kleen Tailings Processing
Technology. Test work at the Itronics Metallurgical
laboratory on two separate precious metals closed heap leach
materials pads has provided positive results in recovering precious
metals, base metals and industrial minerals. Rock Kleen
neutralizes the residual cyanide and removes nitrogen produced by
blasting the rocks in the mining process, making the materials
available for use as industrial minerals.
Rock
Kleen Advantages:
Redefines "ore" by
valuing the whole resource
- Recovers precious and
base metals
- Can be used in
conjunction with currently established processing
procedures
- Cleans the rock of
previously used cyanide and nitrogen
- Converts leached rock
to industrial minerals products
- Eliminates or reduces
the capital cost of tailings storage
- Can make permitting
easier and quicker
- Eliminates bonding
requirements of heap or tailings impoundments
- Energy Saving
Technology
Redefines
"ore" by valuing the whole resource
Rock Kleen technology has the potential to make lower grade
gold/silver mineral deposits that are sub-ore grade into profitable
ore deposits. Itronics Zero Waste Energy Saving Technology's focus
is to convert all of a resource into salable products.
Conventional cyanide leaching may recover a high percentage of
soluble gold and a portion of the silver, but all the remaining
materials are left as a waste product. Rock Kleen recovers
additional gold/silver and
base
metals, and then the remaining
rock can be
sized for
commercial grades of industrial minerals for sale leaving zero
waste from the mining enterprise.
Recovers
precious and base metals
Rock Kleen chemistry
allows for recovery of not only the gold and silver but also
recovers available base metals By producing revenues from 100
percent of a resource, versus revenues from only the precious
metals, Rock Kleen redefines the term "ore" and may greatly expand
mineral reserves at current and new mines where the technology is
applied.
Itronics' wholly owned subsidiary, Whitney & Whitney, Inc.,
represents the Company to interested parties for the marketing of
its proprietary Rock Kleen Technology. Initial testing has
been completed on two silver rich closed leach
pads. Laboratory testing also indicates that the Rock Kleen
Technology will be effective on copper heap leaches. Whitney
& Whitney has designed flow sheets for two different heap leach
waste materials processing operations which recover gold, silver
and various base metals based upon the processing test work
completed by Itronics Metallurgical, Inc. Mineralogical
analysis has defined potential industrial mineral products for the
two separate resources allowing for 100 percent of the available
resources being converted to salable products.
Can be used in conjunction with currently established
processing procedures
"Rock
Kleen Technology is a revolutionary mineral extraction advancement
developed from Itronics Zero Waste Energy Saving Technology," said
John Key, Vice-President, Projects for Whitney & Whitney,
Inc. "Pilot scale testing is very promising. Each
deposit must be evaluated on a stand-alone basis but many existing
operations and heap leach projects being designed now could
potentially benefit greatly by including a design using Rock Kleen
or including the Rock Kleen technology into their flowsheets in
conjunction with cyanide leaching." Mr. Key obtained his heap
leach design and operating experience from his oversite of the
Borealis Mine restart while serving for four years as President and
CEO of Gryphon Gold Corp. (GGN:TSX/
GYPH:OTC.BB) .
Cleans
the rock of previously used cyanide and nitrogen
Rock Kleen Technology
has been shown to neutralize residual cyanide in gold/silver heap
leach materials during the treatment process. Converting
cyanide laced waste materials to clean rock makes possible the use
of the materials for industrial minerals. Rock Kleen may also
be the solution for leaching of gold/silver deposits in
jurisdictions where cyanide is not legal. The Rock Kleen
Technology also neutralizes residual acid in copper heap leach
materials during the treatment process while recovering residual
copper.
Rock
Kleen also removes nitrogen. Most mining occurs through the
drilling and blasting of the in-situ rock. The
main explosive agent used is ammonium nitrate. Ammonium
nitrate is used due to its cost effectiveness in completing the
job. Residual nitrogen remains in the broken rock and
subsequently in the leach pads. Nitrogen leaving the leach
pad through water passing through it is regulated due to its
potential for contaminating groundwater. Rock Kleen
recovers the nitrogen through a bleed stream and uses it in the
manufacturing of GOLD'n GRO
Multi
Nutrient Fertilizers.
Converts
leached materials to
industrial
minerals products
Industrial minerals
is a mature and steady market. Combined industrial mineral
consumption in California and Nevada approaches 300 million tons
per year. Product categories include sized crushed rock,
crushed rock fines, clays and minerals. Industrial minerals
are used for construction, concrete production, paint production,
fillers in rubber and plastics, wall board production and many
other uses. End use products of each separate resource will
be defined by its mineralogical make-up. Mineralogical
make-up and availability of efficient low-cost rail transportation
will significantly affect the economic viability of the industrial
minerals. The philosophy of using as much of a resource as
possible has implications on ground tailings also. Additional
minerals not previously targeted can be recovered while the "clean"
tailings can be used as fine crushed rock, clays, micas and
minerals that serve an industrial purpose.
Eliminates
or reduces capital cost of tailings storage
Rock Kleen advantages
include converting all of a resource to salable products
so
there are
no requirements for tailings storage at the mine site. Lined
storage for tailings will add approximately $3 per ton of tailings
to the initial capital cost. Much of this cost, which can be
in the tens of millions of dollars, will be eliminated.
Can
make permitting easier and quicker
Tailings dams
are a worldwide issue for the mining industry. Eliminating
tailings impoundments or minimizing their size will aide in public
safety and greatly enhance permitting applications for mining
operations. China, Brazil and many other jurisdictions
have taken measures to clamp down on tailings facility design to
the point of eliminating certain types of tailings
impoundments. Rock Kleen may provide the opportunity to
eliminate some major bonding costs, provide a more permittable
design, and generate profit using mine tailings as industrial
minerals products while recovering additional precious and base
metals.
Eliminates
bonding requirements of heap or tailings impoundments
Currently in Nevada
there are more than 5000 tailings heap leach pads. Many of
these pads are under bonding requirements tying up millions of
company dollars while leaving un-natural features on the state's
landscape. From the company's perspective their costs include
bonds, insurance and continuous monitoring, each consuming company
resources. Rock Kleen can end the need for bonding of leach
pads by eliminating unsightly rock piles and converting this rock
into salable industrial minerals products. Whitney &
Whitney has completed a review indicating that more than 400
million tons of treatable heap leach tails exist in the Yerington,
Nevada to Tonopah, Nevada corridor that is near rail service.
The ability to form profitable industrial minerals operations and
recover residual metals using Rock Kleen Technology creates a huge
new business opportunity for both the mining company and
Itronics.
Energy
Saving Technology
Rock
Kleen Tailings Processing is a revolutionary
Itronics "Clean Tech Materials" development that cleans mine
tailings of residual cyanide and makes the previously mined
materials available for Industrial Mineral usage. This is
Energy Saving technology because it avoids the significant energy
costs of mining and crushing the rock. Producing crushed
rock, clays, crushed rock fines and minerals from previously mined
tailings provides huge opportunities for this Itronics Zero Waste
Energy Saving Technology by saving energy and maximizing materials
use. Up to 60 percent of the cost of mining is energy, so the
energy cost savings are very substantial. Rock Kleen is
produced by Itronics' proprietary GOLD'n GRO technology.
"Through
Itronics Research and Development we have found a way to
potentially maximize the value of
in-situ
ore or
make possible the conversion of previously unprofitable low-grade
rock into a profitable reserve. From processed heap leach
tails and ground tailings Rock Kleen recovers additional precious
and base metals plus industrial minerals from what was previously a
waste," said Dr. John Whitney, President of Itronics. "Rock
Kleen is a potential game changer for the mining industry using
this Itronics 'Clean Tech Materials' portfolio technology.
Maximum extraction of resource value has always been the key to
maximum profitability of mines. Rock Kleen recovers
additional metals and cleans the rock for industrial minerals usage
providing additional revenue while eliminating waste.
Base
metals recovered using Rock Kleen Technology are perfect for use as
raw materials in the Itronics GOLD'n GRO fertilizer manufacturing
process. Designing gold/silver
heap leach mines using Rock Kleen, or Rock Kleen in conjunction
with cyanide leaching, will ensure maximum heap leach recoveries
while targeting 100 percent of the resource as profitable
product."
About
Itronics
Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Itronics Inc. is an emerging
Cleantech Growth Company that uses proprietary multi-nutrient
fertilizer manufacturing technologies to produce GOLD'n GRO
multi-nutrient fertilizers and breakthrough Zero Waste Technologies
to recover fertilizer ingredients, silver bullion, and
silver-bearing glass from waste streams that contain silver, gold,
copper, zinc, tin, and other metals. The Company's goal is to
achieve profitable green technology driven organic growth in
specialty GOLD'n GRO fertilizers, silver, zinc, and minerals.
The Company's technologies maximize the recovery and uses of metals
and minerals and by doing this maximize sustainability.
The
Company's environmentally friendly award winning GOLD'n GRO liquid
fertilizers, which are extensively used in agriculture, can be used
for lawns and houseplants, and are available at the Company's
"e-store" on Amazon.Com at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_lawn-garden?ie+UTF8&field-brandtextbin=GOLD%27n+GRO&node+2972638011.
Due to expanded
retail customer interest, GOLD'n GRO fertilizer may now be
purchased in Reno, Nevada at "Buy Nevada First Gift Shop," 4001 S.
Virginia St.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itronicsinc
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/itronicsinc
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VISIT OUR WEB SITE: http://www.itronics.com
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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
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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