RENO, NV, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – Itronics Inc. (OTC: ITRO) a “Cleantech Materials” growth Company that manufactures GOLD’n GRO Multi-Nutrient Fertilizers and produces silver, today reported on the potential for Itronics Rock Kleen Tailings Processing to provide a profitable way to clean up mine tailings while helping to reduce a worldwide shortage of construction sand. Rock Kleen is a revolutionary disruptive technology developed by Itronics R&D utilizing Itronics Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES) chemistry. Itronics has joined with A.S.Fisher of New South Wales, Australia to bring the Rock Kleen Technology to the gold mining industry in Australasia.
Itronics Metallurgical, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Itronics Inc. (www.itronics.com) with registered offices at 6490 S McCarran Blvd., Reno, NV 89509 United States is pleased to confirm the appointment of A.S.Fisher Co. (www.asfisherco.com) 203 New South Head Road Edgecliff Sydney NSW 2027 Australia (Post Office Box 788 Edgecliff Sydney 2027 Australia), represented by Mr. Michael O’Connell, as the sole representative agent (SRA) for Australasia of our “Rock Kleen” technology. (Two potential gold tailings processing projects have already been identified)
The role of the mandated SRA is to identify and develop existing and new market opportunities to introduce the “Rock Kleen” technology into the Australasian gold mining marketplace on a best endeavors basis. All intellectual property and propriety rights to the “Rock Kleen” technology remain totally with Itronics Inc. and its’ wholly owned subsidiary Itronics Metallurgical, Inc.
Itronics Cleantech Technology model is to convert 100 percent of all waste treated into salable products. This is the case for Itronics Rock Kleen. The Rock Kleen Tailings Process recovers precious metals, base and ferrous metals, mineral nutrients and cleans the tailings materials, eliminating cyanide and acid while recovering blasting nitrates. The tailings rock is then cleaned, sized, and classified to produce industrial minerals which are primarily crushed stone, crushed sand, and clays.
The initial focus is on gold/silver mine tailings projects. With gold and silver prices forecasted to increase sharply, the revenue credits from recovery of residual gold and silver will improve project economics significantly.
Mining has occurred worldwide since civilizations began and all that mining has left behind waste materials. Governments have been under pressure to clean up these materials and return the land to a usable state. Rock Kleen chemistry provides a means to profitably accomplish this cleanup. What is required to “kick-start” the technology is support from the government at all levels and support from the affected communities to get the job done. Rock Kleen Projects have the potential to provide high paying jobs and long-term employment that can effectively address the need for providing long term economic sustainability to affected rural communities. The potential projects that Itronics has identified would be long term, from 40 years up to more than a hundred years.
All mine tailings are not created equal. Rock Kleen focuses on gold/silver mine tailings. Profitability of a Rock Kleen Project will depend on the residual gold/silver content of the tailings, quality of the tailings rock, and the location of the tailings. The crushed rock products generated will require a market within the transportable limits established by product prices. In addition, cleaned mine tailings may be used for reclamation purposes. This makes the clean tailings a versatile product which could eliminate mountains of tailings and provide the material needed to restore the land to its original contours.
Sizing these salable industrial minerals can be accomplished to satisfy different markets in the construction industry. The largest market for sand is concrete. According to the United Nations over 4 billion people live in urban dwellings. Over the next 30 years this number is expected to grow by another 2.5 billion. Sand for concrete will be the major commodity required to address the housing needs in the growing cities.
The first response is that there is sand everywhere, so what is the issue? Sand is one of the most used materials on the planet. The current estimate is that 50 billion tons are consumed annually. “Without sand, there’s no modern civilization,” says Vince Beiser, author of The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization. “Our cities are literally built out of sand: Every apartment, every office tower, every shopping mall, every road is made with sand.”
Desert sand is not suitable for construction use. Recovery of sand from rivers and beaches is causing huge environmental damage. In most regions of the world taking this sand has been outlawed. This leaves the question: Where will the world get its sand in the future?
Closer to home, there is an emerging sand shortage in California in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. Sand currently is being barged into California from British Columbia, Canada as new sand and gravel operations are being limited in California.
Itronics believes that Rock Kleen can contribute to the sand scarcity solution. In Nevada the mining industry produces 35 million tons per year of gold/silver mining waste. Most is rock that could fit the construction requirements once it is “cleaned” and properly sized. No new mines are required. Rock Kleen processes rock that has already been mined and now sits for perpetuity next to the former mines. These mountains of already mined rock can be cleaned and used to reduce the sand and crushed rock scarcity. Using previously mined rock makes the Rock Kleen Process a “Zero Waste Energy Saving Technology” that meets the requirements to qualify for Carbon Credits.
Worldwide annual gold and silver mining production amounts to over 2 billion tons while copper mining production equals 3 billion tons. These numbers do not include the billions of tons of overburden mined to expose the ore which may also be a valuable source of crushed stone and sand.
Rock Kleen cannot solve the sand scarcity problem by itself, but working with mining companies that control tailings, or government entities that control tailings on public lands, in combination with rising gold, silver, and copper prices, it provides an opportunity for Itronics and the tailings owner to benefit from the sand scarcity by moving forward with Rock Kleen Projects in locations where there is a market for construction sand. Tougher environmental laws relating to sand and continued urban growth will only increase the restrictions on available sand making it a commodity of increasing value.
“When we started the Rock Kleen project, people asked “how are you going to sell the crushed rock products?” said Dr. John Whitney, Itronics President. “Now the answer is becoming clear, “to help solve the world’s need for sand.” Now the Rock Kleen Technology can provide a processing solution to produce environmentally clean material and contribute to a cleaner environment at the same time.”
Rock Kleen has a very bright future as Itronics makes moves to take advantage of this opportunity.
About Itronics
Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Itronics Inc. is a ‘Zero Waste Energy Saving Technology’ Company that produces GOLD’n GRO multi-nutrient liquid fertilizers, silver bullion, and silver-bearing glass. The Company’s environmentally friendly award winning GOLD’n GRO liquid fertilizers are used extensively in agriculture in California. Access GOLD’n GRO information at www.GOLDnGRO.com
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("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.)
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