Precious Metal Recovery
Mining and Planet Resource Recovery, Inc.
The very nature of mining processes creates a potential negative impact on the environment both during the mining operations and for years after the mine is closed. Environmental issues can include erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water with a vast array of toxic chemicals used in the mining processes.
Mining's most serious impact on western communities is water pollution, with contaminants that can include acid, cyanide, and sulfur. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), mine waste has contaminated more than 40 percent of the headwaters of western watersheds.
Mining targets are divided into two general categories of materials: placer deposits, consisting of valuable minerals contained within river gravels, beach sands, and other unconsolidated materials; and lode deposits, where valuable minerals are found in veins, in layers, or in mineral grains generally distributed throughout a mass of actual rock. Both types of ore deposit, placer or lode, are mined by both surface and underground methods.
Processing of placer ore material consists of gravity-dependent methods of separation, such as sluice boxes. Only minor shaking or washing may be necessary to disaggregate (unclump) the sands or gravels before processing. Processing of ore from a lode mine, whether it is a surface or subsurface mine, requires that the rock ore be crushed and pulverized before extraction of the valuable minerals begins. After lode ore is crushed, recovery of the valuable minerals is done by one, or a combination of several, mechanical and chemical techniques.
PetroLuxus offers an unparalleled opportunity for simultaneous recovery and reclamation, greatly minimizing environmental impact as a component of well-designed mining and recovery operations.