BHP Invent, MIT spinout trial copper and gold recovery technology from waste streams  

Massachusetts- based materials recovery and processing startup SiTration said on Tuesday it has collaborated with BHP Invent and Copper South Australia to complete 5-weeks of prototype test work, trialing SiTration’s patented processing technology on local copper samples.   

The testing, which focused on extracting gold and copper from waste streams, successfully recovered bullion-grade gold (99.99% purity) from gold containing streams using a simplified process and achieved 99.9% purity in copper recovery from residual waste liquids, the company said.  

SiTration said the demonstration signifies a significant breakthrough in mining innovation, pioneering efficient and low-cost electro-extraction technology to recover minerals from waste and processing streams.  

The MIT-spinout’s silicon-based electrode technology delivers durability, selectivity, and efficiency, enabling the recovery of high-purity products directly from dilute, complex, and chemically harsh streams, it said.  

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.   

The testing is currently targeting copper and gold waste streams from BHP assets, the company said, adding that 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 modernize existing processing operations and set a new standard for resource-efficient, cost-effective mineral recovery across the industry”,  SiTration CEO Dr. Brendan Smith said in a news release.   

“Projects like this are how we turn big ideas into real impact, connecting global innovation with the challenges we’re solving every day across our operations,” Acting VP, BHP Innovation Marley Palin added.  

“By accelerating innovation in processing technologies, we can maximise every tonne mined, through reducing inputs and lowering energy and water use,” Palin said.