Startup Adopts New Process To Extract Metals

Many are aware that we cannot do away with copper. It is an essential aspect of clean energy solutions, yet the traditional means of acquiring it produces pollution and other ecological issues.

Whether it's through electric vehicles, wind turbines, or solar panels, creating renewable energy is almost always tied to producing electricity. Producing electricity requires copper wiring and a ton of it. That means any path to a fully green future is going to be paved with copper wiring. However, a new startup called Still Bright is now offering a far greener alternative that may revolutionize copper production.

This unavoidable fact presents two significant issues. One is that it's becoming difficult for current mining practices to keep up with copper demand. In fact, some studies show that copper can't be mined fast enough to facilitate a transition to electric power.

The second issue is that copper production is not exactly an ecologically friendly practice. It produces toxic pollutants like lead and arsenic which eventually find their way into the earth. On top of that, powering the process requires a significant amount of dirty energy.

While these two problems present significant hurdles on the path to a green future, Still Bright may be able to clear them. This new startup has developed a method of copper production that's faster, cleaner, and more efficient than any other currently available.

The process, known as electrochemical reductive leaching, involves the use of vanadium, the 23rd element. According to Still Bright, sulfide ore is first soaked in liquid vanadium, separating the copper from its other elements. Then, the solution is sent through an electrolyzer to collect the pure copper.

Still Bright states that their vanadium process is capable of extracting 99 percent of copper from sulfide ore. Traditional leaching extracts something like 15-30 percent, and even the most comparably cutting-edge processes don't extract more than 80 percent.

While this development is an exciting one, it's still in the testing phase. Still Bright has tested and validated it at lab scale and plans on completing an in-house pilot project by 2026. Also, there is still a amter of cost, which has not been studied yet.

No matter how lofty the objectives are, but if the cost is higher than what the traditional method offers, then it will not be accepted universally.

Nevertheless, if Still Bright is successful, it can open the door for a greener future that will require less pollution and dirty energy to achieve.