The proprietary WildIP process has been developed as a low-cost and environmentally benign leaching process. The process uses ferric chloride in an electrochemical redox ionic substitution process to leach the target metals in a weakly acidified solution at low to moderate temperatures.
An important characteristic of the process is that the reagents are not directly consumed. An acidic environment is created for the process and it is intended that after removal of the payable metals the leach solution can be recharged with acid and recycled.
The process was initially developed for nickel, however the process has shown potential for broader applications including gold, platinum, palladium and copper. Further testing continues to expand the application of the process.