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ITRONICS
UPDATES PROGRESS ON GOLD’n GRO GUARDIAN DEER REPELLENT FERTILIZER AND
SILVER/GOLD RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS
RENO,
Nevada, December 11, 2007 -- Itronics Inc. (OTC BB: ITRO; Frankfurt and Berlin
Stock Exchanges: ITG) today reported significant progress by its subsidiary,
Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., on product and process developments that
will both improve the Company’s bottom line and its reputation for
environmental excellence. Other recent highlights include:
*The
GOLD’n GRO Guardian deer repellent fertilizer application has been
received by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and has been assigned a
review classification number that provides for a 180-day registration review
period. This puts the registration on a schedule to be completed in
May-June, 2008, after which sales can proceed.
*Revisions to the photochemical
blending procedures that will increase throughput capacity for GOLD’n GRO
manufacturing by 250 percent have been successfully implemented.
*Negotiations are
continuing with potential new suppliers of used photochemicals, with startup on
one new contract completed in November, and another tentatively scheduled to
begin in February 2008.
*Work is continuing on
equipment design and specification for the expansion of the solids handling
capacity in the silver refinery. Part of the equipment has been received
and engineering for equipment installation is now proceeding.
Two new leaching
processes that are under development, Itromet FeLix Process and Itromet Sulix
Process were described by Itronics in a news release dated November 6,
2007. Development of operating parameters for the two processes has been
completed and bench tests to demonstrate the operating sequence for both
processes, on a “start to finish” basis, are now underway. A
pilot-scale leach circuit that uses both processes in sequence has been
specified and sizing of process equipment and identification of specific items
of equipment to develop an installation budget is underway. Layout design
and engineering for the pilot-scale operating leach circuit is expected to
begin early in the first quarter 2008.
A series of small pilot
scale leach tests using the Itromet SuLix Process has been completed with
essentially complete sulfur recovery from material containing 84 percent sulfur
and 3 percent silver. More than 95 percent of the test lot of material was put
into liquid solution leaving the silver in the solid residue for recovery by
refining. This series of tests demonstrates that large improvements in
silver refining capacity will be achieved once this process is fully operational
due to the large bulk reduction of the silver-bearing solids.
The Itromet FeLix and
SuLix processes are demonstrating the ability to separate nutrient metals and
minerals (iron, zinc, and sulfur) from silver and gold bearing solids.
The nutrient metals and minerals are put into liquid solution for use in the
GOLD’n GRO liquid fertilizers, and the silver and gold bearing solids are
sent to the refinery for recovery of the precious metals from non-nutrient
impurities.
The Itromet FeLix and
Itromet SuLix technologies improve resource use because nutrient
metals that are now being wasted will be recovered for beneficial use once the
complete leaching system is operational.
“Itronics’
advancement and completion of new GOLD’n GRO products and vertically
integrated silver/gold recovery technology is a result of years of research and
development that has made the photochemical recycling technology and the
GOLD’n GRO brand of environmentally compatible fertilizer a
success,” said Dr. John Whitney, Itronics President. “The
GOLD’n GRO Guardian deer repellent fertilizer is made possible by the nutrient
delivery technology embodied in the GOLD’n GRO fertilizers. We are
truly excited by the way these developments are progressing and the potential
for sales expansion that they represent.”
About
Itronics
Itronics,
through its subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., is the only company in
the world with a fully permitted "Beneficial Use Photochemical, Silver,
and Water Recycling" plant located in the United States which can convert
used photoliquids into pure silver and liquid fertilizers. At the
Company’s Reno, Nevada factory more than 99 percent of the silver and
virtually all the other toxic heavy metals are extracted from used photoliquids. The purified liquids are converted
into environmentally beneficial, chelated, micronutrient and multinutrient
liquid fertilizers sold under the GOLD'n GRO trademark. The silver is
refined and sold as bullion and 5 troy ounce, 0.999 pure, Silver Nevada Miner
numismatic bars. The environmentally friendly liquid fertilizers can be
used for lawns and houseplants, and are available, along with GOLD'n GRO liquid
fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store" catalog at http://goldngro.com
.. The popular Silver Nevada Miner bars are available at the Company's
“e-store” catalog at http://www.itromet.com ..
Headquartered in Reno,
Nevada, Itronics Inc. is a "Creative Environmental Technology"
company and a world leader in photochemical recycling. The Company also
provides environmentally compatible mining technology development, project
planning, and technical services to the gold mining industry and operates the
popular InsideMetals.com web site: http://www.insidemetals.com.
provides a value-added WORLD VIEW of Gold Producer Stocks, Mineral Producer
Stocks, Junior Gold Stocks, and Junior Mineral Stocks. Itronics has
received numerous domestic and international awards that recognize its ability
to successfully create and implement new environmentally compatible recycling
and fertilizer technologies.
* * * *
* * * * * *
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.)