Replacing toxic chemical processing with plant-derived extraction systems.
Botanical Extraction Systems for Mercury-Free Chemical Processing
Applied solution chemistry using botanical lixiviants to improve extraction efficiency and reduce toxic exposure in chemical processing systems.
Real-world implementation of botanical extraction chemistry across processing systems
Extraction Systems - Case Applications
Applied case studies demonstrating how botanical lixiviant systems translate solution chemistry principles into efficient, low-toxicity gold extraction and scalable processing performance.
A plant-derived lixiviant system enabling high-efficiency gold recovery under mild, low-toxicity conditions
Process Chemistry of Mercury-Free Botanical Gold Extraction
Chemical mechanism detailing how plant-derived ligands enable gold complexation, solubilization, and recovery under controlled conditions without the use of mercury or synthetic cyanide systems.
Figure 2 - Process Chemistry Layer — Botanical Lixiviant Extraction Mechanism.
Botanical Lixiviant Extraction Mechanism Plant-derived ligands enable gold complexation, solubilization, and recovery under mild conditions.
This figure illustrates the underlying chemical mechanism of botanical gold extraction using manipueira-derived compounds. Organic acids and plant-based ligands interact with gold surfaces to form soluble complexes, enabling controlled recovery without mercury or cyanide.
Manipueira advances safe, sustainable gold recovery, reduces neurotoxic exposure, and promotes circular-economy practices.
Manipueira Gold Recovery Technology
A plant-derived lixiviant system demonstrating high-efficiency gold recovery through controlled ligand chemistry, reduced toxic exposure, and integration of agricultural byproducts into scalable extraction processes.
In 2021, Manipueira Gold Recovery Technology, Inc., (f.k.a. Alchemy Mining Group, Inc.) was incorporated in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. The company pioneered a four-stage ESG-aligned transformational plant-based gold leaching system designed as an alternative to mercury - a potent neurotoxin and synthetic cyanide salts used by artisanal miners to recover gold from ore and toxic tailings wastes respectively.
Derived from the cyanogenic bitter cassava plant (Manihot esculenta Crantz), Manipueira (a.k.a. cassava wastewater), is a toxic agricultural liquid waste by-product containing aqueous-free cyanide (CN-) @ a pH 5.5.
The cyanide is produced by an internal chemical reaction as a defense mechanism triggered only when the integrity of the plant cellular structure is compromised for example; by predators or flour manufactures who crush the plant.
The plant does not contain cyanide.
Demonstrates how botanical chemistry enables cross-sector integration between agriculture and mineral processing
Manipueira-50 tonne/day repurposed Mercury & Cyanide whole ore processing center
Agricultural outputs (cassava processing byproducts such as manipueira) are repurposed as functional extraction agents for gold recovery. This closed-loop framework reduces reliance on toxic reagents, minimizes waste streams, and creates parallel economic pathways for agricultural and mining communities.
In 2025, the company published a 4-stage ESG-ALIGNED transformational strategy Action Plan accompanied with the schematices in a flow chart detailing a re-purposed 50-tonne-per-day whole ore mercury amalgamation processing center to a Manipueira Precious Metals Leaching Center thereby establishing a scalable, circular systems model linking artisanal ore processing with cassava-derived lixiviant production. A circular-economy model which supports environmentally responsible and health-conscious gold production, reduced toxin exposure, and improved socio-economic outcomes.
With growing global demand for responsible mining solutions, we believe Manipueira represents a significant investment opportunity with the potential for financial returns, mitigating health threats, and positive environmental impact.
Demonstrates how botanical chemistry enables cross-sector integration between agriculture and mineral processing.
Manipueira: The Power of Green Gold Recovery
A high-performance botanical extraction system demonstrating how cassava-derived lixiviants enable efficient gold recovery, reduce environmental toxicity, and establish scalable circular-economy processing models.
Figure 3 - Performance Comparison of Botanical Lixiviant vs Mercury-Based Gold Extraction.
Comparative analysis of gold recovery efficiency, toxicity profile, and environmental impact between plant-derived lixiviant systems (manipueira) and conventional mercury-based extraction methods.
A circular systems model linking artisanal ore processing with cassava-derived lixiviant production. Agricultural outputs (cassava processing byproducts such as manipueira) are repurposed as functional extraction agents for gold recovery. This closed-loop framework reduces reliance on toxic reagents, minimizes waste streams, and creates parallel economic pathways for agricultural and mining communities. The model supports environmental remediation, reduced toxin exposure, and improved socio-economic outcomes.
“The symbiosis of artisanal ore processors and flour makers is a win-win situation to reduce environmental pollution, health threats, and mitigating an unintended consequence of harvesting the bitter cassava plant” (P. Torkaman et al., 2021).
Integrated Circular System: Cassava Processing and Botanical Gold Recovery
Global Cassava Production Systems and Strategic Supply Regions
A circular systems model linking artisanal ore processing with cassava-derived lixiviant production. Agricultural outputs (cassava processing byproducts such as manipueira) are repurposed as functional extraction agents for gold recovery. This closed-loop framework reduces reliance on toxic reagents, minimizes waste streams, and creates parallel economic pathways for agricultural and mining communities. The model supports environmental remediation, reduced toxin exposure, and improved socio-economic outcomes.
Figure 4 - Global Cassava Production Systems.
A foundational agricultural resource supporting food security, economic resilience, and sustainable production systems.
In 2021, the global bitter cassava plant harvesting was estimated at 308 million tonnes (Blue Sense, 2023).
According to P. Torkaman et al., 2021, 30 - 40% of the plants total weight representing ~ 120 million tonnes of toxic agricultural cassava waste-water is recklessly discarded to the environment by flour manufacturers annually.
An estimated 800 million people in 80 countries including 500 million in Africa depend on the root as their main staple (Fran Robson et al., 2023).
Manipueira, which stinks when fermented, attracts insects, creates health threats, causes biodiversity destruction, contaminates the soil, drinking water, irrigation water contaminating the crops, and polluting the rivers.
