FIELD NOTES & PROCESS RECORDS
The Lab
Documenting the development of a cleaner approach to precious metals recovery.
PATENT DEVELOPMENT THREAD
Research Updates & Methodology Notes
This is not a news blog. It is a working record — a chemistry journal documenting the iterative development of our proprietary recovery process, currently in patent. Each entry is a data point in an ongoing experiment.
ENTRY 001 · MARCH 2024
Baseline Leaching Study: Karat Gold Alloys in Alkaline Thiourea
Initial comparative trials across 9K, 14K, 18K, and 22K gold scrap in alkaline thiourea solution. Variables tracked: pH, temperature, agitation rate, and dissolution yield. No cyanide, no mercury, no acid fumes. Results showed 91–96% Au recovery across all karat grades within controlled parameters.
- Recovery Range: 91–96% Au
- Reagent: Alkaline Thiourea
- Zero cyanide / zero acid fumes
ENTRY 002 · JUNE 2024
Silver Separation Protocol: Bench Sweeps and Mixed Alloy Fractions
Bench sweeps present a unique challenge: heterogeneous particle distribution, variable base metal content, and embedded abrasives. This entry records our sequential separation approach — gravimetric pre-sort, magnetic strip, followed by selective dissolution — as applied to real jeweller bench waste from three Brisbane workshops.
- Input: Mixed bench sweeps 350–900g
- Au Yield: 88–93% net recovery
- Ag Yield: 82–87% net recovery
ENTRY 003 · SEPTEMBER 2024
Dental Alloy Streams: Cadmium Sequestration and Safe Disposal Protocol
Older dental alloys often contain cadmium — a hazardous heavy metal requiring proper sequestration before disposal. This entry documents our validated sequestration pathway, which achieves Cd immobilisation to below EPA threshold limits, producing a stable solid-phase waste suitable for certified landfill disposal without liquid effluent discharge.
- Cd immobilised below EPA threshold
- Zero liquid effluent discharge
- Certified solid waste disposal pathway
ENTRY 004 · JANUARY 2025
Patent Filing Commenced: Closed-Loop Hydrometallurgical Recovery System
Following 10 months of process validation, we have filed a provisional patent for our closed-loop hydrometallurgical recovery system. The patent covers the complete reagent regeneration cycle — allowing our primary leaching chemistry to be reconstituted and re-used, reducing both cost and chemical discharge to near-zero. Technical specifics withheld pending full patent grant.
- Provisional patent filed Jan 2025
- Reagent cycle: near-zero discharge
- Technical details withheld — patent pending
Follow the Research
New entries are posted as the work progresses — not on a schedule, but when there is something worth recording. Enquire below if you have a technical question about our process or wish to discuss a complex lot.
