MIT-spinout verifies breakthrough low-cost copper recovery process at BHP operation
Premier private research university Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT's) spinout materials recovery and processing startup SiTration has completed a five-week propotype testwork programme with global miner BHP's innovation arm BHP Invent.
Together with Copper South Australia as another partner, the parties trialled SiTration's patented processing technology on local copper samples.
The testing focused on extracting gold and copper from waste streams.
SiTration successfully recovered bullion-grade gold - 99.99% purity gold - from gold-containing streams using a simplified process and also achieved 99.9% purity in copper recovery from residual waste liquids.
SiTration's core technology combines uniquely durable silicon filtration and electro-extraction stages to enable profitable and sustainable recovery of critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, nickel, rare earths and other precious metals.
The company's technology can replace traditional resource-intensive mining processes and can be deployed to recover materials from traditionally inaccessible sources, including waste.
SiTration is quickly scaling up its now validated technology, while working with global mining leaders to deploy pilot systems.
"SiTration's successful demonstration signifies a significant breakthrough in mining innovation, pioneering efficient and low-cost electro-extraction technology to recover minerals from waste and processing streams. SiTration's silicon-based electrode technology delivers strong durability, selectivity, and efficiency, enabling the recovery of high-purity products directly from dilute, complex and chemically harsh streams," says SiTration CEO and co-founder Dr Brendan Smith.
He adds that simplifying flow sheets has the potential to decrease the use of processing chemicals and reduce costs, laying the groundwork for a new era of mineral recovery.
"For the near term, we are targeting copper and gold waste streams from different BHP assets. Potential future use cases could contribute to unlocking low grade copper material that is currently seen as waste. SiTration's trial with BHP Invent validates how our breakthrough approach can modernise existing processing operations and set a new standard for resource-efficient, cost-effective mineral recovery across the industry."
BHP innovation acting VP Marley Palin comments that projects like this show how mining companies can turn big ideas into real impact, connecting global innovation with the challenges that need solving across operations.
"By accelerating innovation in processing technologies, we can maximise every tonne mined, through reducing inputs and lowering energy and water use. Together, we’re collaborating to deliver safer, more productive and more sustainable outcomes,” Palin concludes.
