Itronics starts up centrifuge

Reno, Nevada-based Itronics Inc., a producer of Gold’n Gro zinc fertilizers and silver products, has reported that it has successfully completed startup testing of the centrifuge that will be used in its hydrometallurgical operations to perform liquid solids separations.

“This technology is a revolutionary breakthrough in the development of the company’s hydromet processes and is expected to significantly lower operating costs, which is very important,” John Whitney, Itronics president, says. “The centrifuge technology will be used for the FeLix (iron), SuLix (sulfur) and ZinLix (zinc) leaching processes and will be tested for use in KAM-Thio silver/gold mine applications.”

The hydromet (leaching) processes produce the high silver content concentrate used in Itronics “Zero Waste” e-scrap refining process, which uses the silver to extract gold, silver, palladium, tin and copper, from e-scrap.

The hydromet leaching operations have been a production bottleneck because of the length of time required to separate the leaching liquid from the residual silver-bearing solids using standard filtration methods, according to the company. It has been taking Itronics about five months to separate the liquids and solids in both process steps to produce enough high-silver-content solids for refining to produce a bullion shipment.

Based on startup operational testing, which has been completed, the centrifuge is expected to shorten the elapsed production time to less than one month and to completely eliminate the bottleneck, the company says. Itronics also says it believes additional operational improvements may be achievable by adding two more centrifuges and is initiating testing and planning for these units.

With the hydromet leaching circuit production bottleneck eliminated, the Company’s e-scrap refining operations focus will shift to expanding output, first by converting from intermittent to continuous operation and then by adding additional refining furnaces. Itronics says it is planning to add up to eight additional refining furnaces.

The company says its hydromet technology is expected to lower the operating costs of the KAM-Thio silver/gold mine recovery technology and make it possible to process zinc-bearing flue dusts and other zinc-bearing powders to recover all of the zinc and to convert the nonzinc residuals into saleable products. Doing this is expected to lead to the development of at least two more “Zero Waste” technologies.

Additionally, the company says successful development of the centrifuge applications is expected to provide operations and engineering information that will be used to plan for expanded hydromet leaching operations at Itronics new 60,000-square-foot 48-acre Wabuska, Nevada, facility, which has rail service.