Mercury contamination is a worldwide problem that greatly affects metal miners, smelters, and refiners. In these industries, mercury is found as a naturally-occurring constituent in ores and concentrates, and in leach residues, refinery materials and residues, electro- winning electrodes, autoclave discharge solids, and in waste water and acid sludges.

The presence of mercury in these materials can severely decrease or eliminate the ability to recover residual metal values from the contaminated material and, because of the need to treat and/or dispose of the material, it can also increase production cost.

Use of the MRS Process to treat contaminated copper smelter materials and precious metals process dusts and precipitates has demonstrated the ability of the process to convert expenses into earnings by:

• eliminating the penalties charged to process mercury-contaminated materials in order to recover other metal values,
  
• recovering full metal value from the by-product or waste by the generator, if treated internally, and
  
• re-using or receiving payment for the recovered mercury.

SMELTER BY-PRODUCT:  Merrill Crowe Precipitate

• Mercury   As Received 200,000 ppm   >>>   Treated to less than 10 ppm
• Silver Content:   40% - 50% (100% retained)
• Gold Content:    0.5% - 1.0% (100% retained)

REFINERY BY-PRODUCT:  Cottrell Dust

• Mercury   As Received 75,000 ppm   >>>   Treated to less than 10 ppm
• Silver Content:   1% (100% retained)
• Gold Content:    1% (100% retained)

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