VATIS UPDATE Article

Mineral processing company Mineworx, Canada, has developed a nontoxic leach formula that extracts precious metals from ores and e-waste that is safer for the environment than existing cyanide-based formulas. Mineworx’s parent company, Iberian Minerals, Canada, has created a new subsidiary, HMX Solutions, to pursue commercial opportunities for the HM X-leach formula.

Mineworx’s formula is made of food-grade, organic ingredients and is recyclable.

In a test performed on e-waste scrap, HMX-leach accumulated 2,600 parts per million of gold in the solution in less than an hour of soaking. Cyanide is the dominant leaching agent used in gold processing. But it creates toxic wastewater and is a relatively slow in recovering the precious metal and has been banned in some US states, European countries and South American countries. While other chemicals have been tested to leach gold, none have been more cost-effective and productive than cyanide until now.

The HM X-leach solution recovers gold and other precious metals through several extraction methods including electrowinning, carbon absorption and precipitation. “We are very excited with the results of the HM X-leach formula. It has been proven by independent analysis to be non-toxic and faster than typical cyanide solutions on a number of different ores, concentrates and tailings. The HM X-leach is safer to use, offers faster dissolution rates and offers much broader operational parameters,” said Mineworx CEO Duane Nelson.