Intec Process Description

Technology Overview
The Intec Process is actually a suite of related technologies that use concentrated brine (chloride, bromide and iodide solutions) to leach metals into solution, then purify them to recover high-grade commodity products for sale on domestic and international markets.

Leach Step
Although the process is cyclic, the conceptual ‘first’ step is to add the mineral concentrate or industrial waste feedstock to the leach reactors.

Depending on the specific application, most or all of the metals in the feedstock are dissolved into solution. Then, under the conditions in the leach, the iron and other unwanted elements are precipitated as a stable iron oxide-based solid residue that is suitable for disposal or reuse in other industry applications.

Purification
After separating the solid leach residue, the impure metal-bearing electrolyte is purified by selectively separating important but low-concentration elements such as gold, silver and indium. These are recovered as saleable by-products. 

Recovery
Lastly, the purified electrolyte is then passed to the product recovery section, where the primary-value metals such as copper, lead, zinc and/or nickel can be recovered in various saleable forms.

After recovering these products, the barren electrolyte is then cycled back to the leach step in a closed-loop circuit. 



Low Impact
The Intec Process operates at atmospheric pressure and low temperature (<100°C). It produces no gaseous emissions or liquid effluents, and after recovering valuable metals leaves only a stable iron-based residue suitable for disposal or reuse. 

Multiple Metals
The Intec Process is applicable to a wide range of base and precious metals - copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, silver, indium, scandium, and more.

Multiple Feedstocks
The Intec Process can unlock value from a very wide range of feedstocks - mineral ores and concentrates, industrial wastes, and a number of unconventional materials.

The feedstocks can be sulphides, oxides, carbonates and chlorides. They can be low-grade, polymetallic, and/or contaminated with elements such as arsenic, which cause significant environmental concerns at smelters.

Multiple Products
The Intec Process can be used to generate:
* intermediate products such as zinc sulphide or copper sulphate;
* high-value premium products such as high-purity zinc oxide; and
* pure metal products such as LME Grade-A copper or Prime Western Grade zinc.