Photochemical Recycling Process Produces Pure Silver and Fertilizer
Itronics Metallurgical, Inc. (Reno, NV) has invested $1 million in a new 35,000-ft2 plant to convert spent photography chemicals into silver and fertilizer. When the plant opens this spring (pending regulatory approval), it will have capacity to turn 20,000- 60,000 gal/mo of used photochemicals into 5-10,000 oz of 99.99999% pure silver and 30-70,000 gal of the company's Gold'n Gro liquid fertilizer.
The market for photographic waste recycling is huge. According to investment banker Gore Horvath (Long Beach, CA), which began covering the Itronics in February, the 100 million gal of photographic waste generated annually represents a significant percentage of all US toxic industrial waste. In addition to photo labs that develop pictures, hospitals, medical offices, and printers and other industrial sources produce these wastes. Gore Horvath puts the potential market for photowaste recycling at $1 billion annually.
Itronics does not discuss process chemistry, other than saying that the system consists of three phases: distillation of photowaste; extraction of silver (to 99.99999% purity) and other heavy metals; and production of a liquid base for fertilizer.
Itronics president John Whitney, however, was issued a patent on May 5, 1987 (US 4,662,938, with coinventor John Templeton), that covers silver and gold extraction. It describes the recovery of silver by leaching waste sludge produced by gold and silver ore extraction with a hot ferric chloride-acid brine solution. This dissolves the silver, which is recovered as precipitated silver chloride when the solution is cooled. The gold is then recovered in a second step. A company spokesman would not comment on the relevancy of this patent to the announced process.
Itronics, which has provided photographic waste recycling services since 1987, says it has the only technology to recover virtually all heavy metals from photographic wastes. It notes that its Gold'n Grow 20-1-7 fertilizer was rated the top turf nutrient two years running in a study conducted by the University of California, Riverside.
The company provides a package of services for photo labs and other customers. It helps them bring waste systems into compliance with local legal requirements. It is a licensed hazardous waste transporter in Nevada and California, and operates a fully-permitted precious metals recycling facility. It also collects spent liquid fixer and disposes of silver-bearing film, plates, developer, rinse water and other wastes.
The company has been making a major effort to raise its visibility. It recently won an opportunity (through a selective process) to present at two environmental investment conferences. The first conference is sponsored by the USEPA, Bank of America Foundation, Southern California Edison, and California Resource Recovery Foundation. The second is organized by EPA, the Arizona Dept. of Commerce, and the National Recycling Coalition.
In addition to photochemical recycling, Itronics specializes in recycling technology development, silver refining, fertilizer manufacturing, and technical services for the mining and recycling industries.
By Alan S. Brown
For more information: Duane Rasmussen, VP, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc., 6490 S. McCarran Blvd. Bldg. C, Ste. 23, Reno, Nevada 89510. Phone: 775-689-7696. Fax: 775-689-7691.