70% of the world’s copper resources lie in low-grade primary sulfide ores, which have remained stranded until now because neither of the two standard extraction methods were economically viable:
70% of copper resources lie in low-grade primary sulfide ores
- Most primary sulfide ore is too low-grade to justify the cost of traditional pyrometallurgical processing, which requires crushing, flotation, extreme heat and large amounts of energy.
- The alternative low-cost hydrometallurgical method, known as bioleaching, uses a natural microbial system that has existed for billions of years. However, this method has proven ineffective for primary sulfides due to a natural barrier: a “passivation layer” that blocks the continued extraction of copper.
Our process:
Jetti’s technology solves this problem by preventing the formation of the passivation layer, unlocking enhanced copper recovery through uninterrupted leaching.
