Industria
CENTRAL AMERICA NICKEL ANNOUNCES FILING OF PATENT APPLICATION ON ULTRASOUND ASSISTED GOLD AND SILVER EXTRACTION
Metallurgical testing for the extraction of gold and silver has been conducted on samples originating from the Company's properties as well as from properties of the CAN's joint venture partner, Auxico Resources Canada Inc., including on different solid materials such as soil, sediment and silica ores from two mines in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico , specifically Aguamas and Campanillas mines. CAN's UAEx process resulted in the recovery of over 90% of gold and over 80% silver in 1-hour extraction time, without the use of heat and pressure
The ore sourced from the Campanillas mine (20 wt%), comprised 0.05% gold (Au) and 0.05% silver (Ag), was leached with a 50% v/v H SO solution comprising thiourea (<1%), with the resulting slurry subsequently sonicated with stirring at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure over a period of 60 minutes. The results of elemental analysis confirmed that 98% of the Au and 87.47% of the Ag were extracted.
In most cases, gold is intimately associated with sulphidic minerals such as pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, marcasite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, bornite, enargite, etc., and typically gold cannot be economically recovered from gold-containing ores using cyanide without the ore being given a pre-treatment. These pre-treatments such as roasting, pressure oxidation, bacterial oxidation, using an acidic leaching medium and hydrometallurgical processes, are typically very capital intensive and use high temperatures. In the case of most existing extraction procedures, the presence of one metal may prevent a smooth and effective extraction of another. However, testing conducted using the UAEx proves a high recovery rate of both Au and Ag, and studies conducted on gold extraction depict that leach time in the presence of ultrasound can be reduced by 3 times, resulting in recoveries over 90% in less than 1-hour, inferring that with the use of UAEx as an intensifier, metallurgical processes could be more efficient, more cost-effective and would require less energy.
The implications of the UAEx technological process are dramatic in terms of CAPEX/OPEX reduction due to increased mineral recovery rates and reduced processing times, with the ability to extract complex minerals which are difficult to separate from one another using conventional methods. The main advantages of the UAEx process is that it enables minerals to separate from ore and into solution more efficiently and lower cost than traditional processing methods, with significantly less environmental impact, including substantially minimized CO emissions, waste and energy requirements.
Central America Nickel Inc. ("CAN") is a privately-held corporation based in Montreal , focused on the processing and purification of critical minerals and energy metals using patented and patent-pending technologies, in partnership with strategic partners. CAN has access, directly or through joint ventures, to minerals projects including nickel, cobalt, scandium, vanadium, lithium and rare earth elements located in several countries, including Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
Website: www.centralamericanickel.com
Pierre Gauthier , Chairman & CEO, Central America Nickel Inc., Tel: +1 514-299-0881, Email: pg@centralamericanickel.com
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