[Americas Gold and Silver Achieves Antimony Recovery Breakthrough, Eyes Strategic Metal Production in the U.S.]
On May 15, Canada-based Americas Gold and Silver announced a significant metallurgical breakthrough at its Galena Complex in Idaho, confirming antimony recovery rates exceeding 90%, alongside silver and copper recoveries above 98%. Historically, the site has produced over 18 million pounds (approximately 8,165 tonnes) of antimony, but no revenue was realized due to insufficient concentrate quality.
This development positions the company to potentially become the only antimony producer in the United States, unlocking a new revenue stream from a strategic by-product. The company will now advance process optimization efforts to enable near-term commercial production.
Antimony is currently listed as a critical mineral by the U.S. government due to its applications in defense, energy storage, and semiconductors, with over 90% of domestic supply dependent on imports.