Exclusive: SiTration uses silicon wafers to reclaim critical minerals from mining waste
Summary
Each ton of copper ore recovered leaves behind around 100150 tons of waste.Thats a lot of waste, so much so that some mines have run out of room for tailings ponds, which hold the toxic chemicals and byproducts that remain after valuable minerals are removed.If you dont have the land to build more of these ponds, you dont have a lot of options, Smith told TechCrunch. SiTrations filters are built on the same style of wafers that are used to make computer chips and solar panels, though using a cheaper grade of silicon. The resulting material is more durable than existing membranes and, depending on what its filtering, should last at least three years, Smith said.In a finished system, the company stacks a series of wafers atop one another and allows the liquids to flow through. For a larger mining site, the company would use about as much silicon as a medium-size solar farm, Smith said.Because silicon is a semiconductor, SiTration can send an electric current through the filters to make them even more effective for a range of minerals, including platinum, lithium, cobalt, and nickel.Although SiTration is starting with mining waste, including a pilot project with Rio Tinto, its also pitching its filtration systems to battery recyclers and metal refiners. We can ship out the same box to multiple partners and customers.To help build more boxes, the company has raised an $11.8 million seed round led by 2150 with participation from Azolla Ventures, BHP Ventures, E14 Fund, Extantia, and Orion Industrial Ventures.In the coming years, the company plans to deploy its filtration systems with partners in various industries.