The Marketing Minute: Staying Positive When the Market Isn’t
Marcy’s Musings: Continuing to Invent the Future With SEL
It’s Only Common Sense: Why Failure Is an Opportunity for Growth
Itronics' Pilot Scale PCB Refining Operation Helps Boost Silver Bullion Sales
December 29, 2020 | PRNewswireEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Itronics Inc., an emerging 'Cleantech Materials' growth Company that manufactures GOLD'n GRO Multi-Nutrient Fertilizers and produces silver, zinc, and critical minerals recovered from industrial and mining waste, has reported its 2020 silver sales were up 224% over the prior year.
Full year 2020 silver sales are $141,500 compared to $43,700 in 2019. The increase includes results from sales of silver bullion, silver-bearing glass, and silver-bearing x-ray film. The proceeds from silver bullion sales include the value of gold and copper recovered from discarded printed circuit board assemblies.
"In early January we forecasted a significant increase in full year silver sales," said Dr. John Whitney, Itronics President. "This year we were able to continue to improve the efficiency and reliability of our 'Breakthrough' pilot scale printed circuit board refining operation despite Covid-19. Silver, gold, and copper prices increased significantly this year which also helped our results."
Itronics is forecasting that its silver sales will increase further in 2021 due to a full year of sales at the current price levels and to per melt yield improvements in the pilot scale refining furnace operations. Significant per melt yield increase was achieved in 2020. This yield improvement will benefit the full year 2021 production and may increase further due to operating improvements that are now being optimized.
Itronics' Breakthrough pilot scale printed circuit board refining operation is producing the silver bullion and silver-bearing glass and is an emerging Zero Waste Energy Saving Technology. Unlike other existing printed circuit board refining technology, Itronics Breakthrough refining technology accomplishes complete printed circuit board utilization. All the printed circuit board assemblies and other feed materials to the process are converted to silver bullion and silver-bearing glass which are being sold. The conversion to silver bullion and silver-bearing glass completely eliminates the printed circuit board assembly waste from the environment. All the metals contained on the printed circuit boards are captured. All the energy content of the printed circuit boards is converted to useable heat energy. The heat energy is 'green energy' and reduces the energy cost of refining by about 50 percent.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
How Good Design Enables Sustainable PCBs
08/21/2025 | Gerry Partida, Summit InterconnectSustainability has become a key focus for PCB companies seeking to reduce waste, conserve energy, and optimize resources. While many discussions on sustainability center around materials or energy-efficient processes, PCB design is an often overlooked factor that lies at the heart of manufacturing. Good design practices, especially those based on established IPC standards, play a central role in enabling sustainable PCB production. By ensuring designs are manufacturable and reliable, engineers can significantly reduce the environmental impact of their products.
50% Copper Tariffs, 100% Chip Uncertainty, and a Truce
08/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007If you’re like me, tariffs were not on your radar screen until a few months ago, but now political rhetoric has turned to presidential action. Tariffs are front-page news with major developments coming directly from the Oval Office. These are not typical times. President Donald Trump campaigned on tariff reform, and he’s now busy revamping America’s tariff policy.
Global PCB Connections: Understanding the General Fabrication Process—A Designer’s Hidden Advantage
08/14/2025 | Markus Voeltz -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsDesigners don’t need to become fabricators, but understanding the basics of PCB fabrication can save you time, money, and frustration. The more you understand what’s happening on the shop floor, the better you’ll be able to prevent downstream issues. As you move into more advanced designs like HDI, flex circuits, stacked vias, and embedded components, this foundational knowledge becomes even more critical. Remember: the fabricator is your partner.
MKS’ Atotech to Participate in IPCA Electronics Expo 2025
08/11/2025 | AtotechMKS Inc., a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, announced that its strategic brands ESI® (laser systems) and Atotech® (process chemicals, equipment, software, and services) will showcase their latest range of leading manufacturing solutions for printed circuit board (PCB) and package substrate manufacturing at the upcoming 17th IPCA Show to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from August 21-23, 2025.
MKS Showcases Next-generation PCB Manufacturing Solutions at the Thailand Electronics Circuit Asia 2025
08/06/2025 | MKS Instruments, Inc.MKS Inc, a global provider of enabling technologies that transform our world, today announced its participation in Thailand Electronics Circuit Asia 2025 (THECA 2025), taking place August 20–22 at BITEC in Bangkok.