Itronics Reports Presence of Potentially Recoverable Iron, Copper, Silver, Cobalt, Other Strategic and Battery Metals, and Nutrient Materials, in Mine Tailings

RENO, Nev., April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Itronics Inc. (OTC:ITRO) an emerging "Cleantech Materials" growth Company that manufactures GOLD'n GRO Multi-Nutrient Fertilizers and produces silver, zinc, and critical and battery minerals recovered from industrial and mining waste, today reported it has received a complete set of polymetallic assays on two tailings samples that were chosen to provide quantitative metal content information for two locations in the tailings pile on the mining claims at the Auric Fulstone project site in the Yerington Copper District near Yerington, Nevada.

The samples were chosen to provide quantitative measurements of the metal and mineral content of the material at the two locations in order to determine whether there would be enough potentially economic metal and mineral content to qualify the material for use in Rock Kleen process testing.  The results are very positive and show the presence of a high percentage of iron and smaller amounts of silver, copper, cobalt, and manganese (battery minerals) and magnesium and potassium (critical minerals).  The samples also contain gold and trace amounts of rare earth elements, lithium, and other rare metals. 

"These tailings samples provide the opportunity to measure the recoverability of each of the contained metals and minerals by performing detailed recoverability studies at the Itronics Metallurgical R & D facility at its manufacturing plant located in Reno, Nevada", said Dr. John Whitney, Itronics President.  "This will be our first opportunity to evaluate the recoverability of such a wide range of metals from one set of samples and will give us a much better understanding of the potential scope of capabilities of the Rock Kleen Technology.  If, as we believe, some of the contained metals and minerals can be recovered, that will justify launching a larger scale program to do detailed sampling and volume measurements of the tailings pile at the Auric Fulstone site to provide standardized feed material for the pilot plant and demonstration plant that is being planned." 

An important purpose of this work is to establish a tailings supply to support an operational testing and production facility to demonstrate the technology. Successful results from testing the tailings on the Auric claims will mean that the Itronics Rock Kleen demonstration plant can proceed with zero dependance on another mining company for feed to the plant.

Ultimately a portion of the facility would be configured to provide testing capabilities where potential customers for the technology would have the opportunity to have their tailings materials tested using the Rock Kleen Technology. The scale would be large enough to test Rock Kleen suitability for use at potential customer tailings locations.

The Auric Fulstone tailings materials contain a significant amount of the iron in magnetite, which is a high-grade iron ore, but which also has a variety of other commercial uses. Based on preliminary laboratory evaluation, the company believes that the magnetite will be relatively straight forward to recover and to classify into commercial products for sale.  A portion of the iron may be chemically recoverable for use in the company's GOLD'n GRO chelated liquid fertilizers.  Based on prior testing of other mine tailings, the company believes that a portion of the calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and sulfur in the tailings may be recoverable for use in the GOLD'n GRO fertilizers.  The company anticipates that a portion of the copper and cobalt may be recoverable for separate sale.  Rare earth elements, and other rare metals, including lithium, may be partially recoverable.  "The proposed testing will be our first opportunity to evaluate the recoverability of all of these elements in the Rock Kleen chemical system," said Dr. Whitney.

The Company does not yet have a budget for measuring the mineralogy of the samples, so that work will be performed as part of the ongoing testing later in the year.  However, there will be a market for at least some of the mineral material.  Itronics Metallurgical, Inc. will require fill material and construction materials for the construction at the Itronics Cleantech Materials Campus which would otherwise have to be purchased from outside parties.  The Company believes that it will be less expensive to purchase some of these materials, after processing, from Auric Gold & Minerals, thereby providing a market for them at or near the processing site.

"The Rock Kleen Technology can play a role in economically and efficiently cleaning up mine tailings, some of which is in unsightly piles in the states that have a mining history.  Under the Rock Kleen processing concept, all the rock is processed to recover its components for commercial use, maximizing sustainability and eliminating the waste from the environment," said Dr. John Whitney.  "The proposed Yerington Rock Kleen Demonstration plant will provide the first opportunity for us to show potential customers how this will work."

Itronics, through its subsidiary Auric Gold & Minerals controls the Auric Fulstone Project which is adjacent to the former operating Minnesota Mine, which started as a copper mine but was commercially operated as an iron mine from the late 1940's through the early 1960's.  Some of the tailings and some of the mining waste generated by the iron mining operation are located on the Auric Fulstone Project mining claims and are now under the control of Auric Gold & Minerals.

Itronics Technical and Administrative Services subsidiary, Whitney & Whitney, Inc. will be leading the project development effort beginning with sampling and measurement of the tailings, to be followed by planning and engineering, construction, and early-stage operation.  Itronics Metallurgical will be performing the test work that is required to advance the process development.  The Company plans to use independent laboratories to perform the required analyses.  This is a procedure the Company has always followed.  In addition, any cyanide testing that may be required will also be performed by independent qualified laboratories.

About Itronics

Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Itronics Inc. is a "Zero Waste Energy Saving Technology" Company which produces GOLD'n GRO specialty liquid fertilizers, silver bullion, and silver-bearing glass. The Company is an emerging "critical minerals" producer.  The Company's goal is to achieve profitable cleantech materials technology driven organic growth in specialty GOLD'n GRO fertilizers, silver, zinc, and critical minerals.  The Company's technologies maximize the recovery and uses of metals and minerals and by doing this maximize sustainability.

The Company's growth forecast centers upon its 10-year business plan designed to integrate its Zero Waste Energy Saving Technologies and to grow annual sales from $2 million in 2019, to $100 million in 2025.

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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("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

SOURCE Itronics Inc.