BIOLEACHING
CMAI is advancing biological metallurgy to unlock a diverse suite of critical minerals and rare earth elements from polymetallic black shales of the SBH Project. By stepping away from conventional, high-impact smelting, CMAI can advance a more efficient, potentially lower-impact metal extraction method.
The Challenge: Polymetallic Black Shales
Black shales contain a broad spectrum of metals finely disseminated within complex clay or organic matter.
The Solution: Biological Extraction
Bioleaching mobilizes these metals through biological and chemical reactions.
Operating at lower temperatures and pressures than traditional smelting, this method reduces energy demand and enables the recovery of multiple critical minerals from a single resource base.
BIOLEACHING AT A GLANCE
1.
THE CATALYST
Certain bacteria naturally catalyze chemical reactions that break down metal-bearing minerals.
2.
As these microbes oxidize sulfur and iron within the rock, valuable metals are released into a liquid solution (leachate).
THE RELEASE
3.
THE RECOVERY
The dissolved metals are then recovered through downstream hydrometallurgical processes.
SUSTAINABILITY
BENEFITS
Advancing sustainable mining through innovative, low-impact resource extraction.
LOWER OPERATING COSTS
Eliminates expensive smelting and pressure-oxidation infrastructure, reducing capital and operating intensity.
PROCESSES LOW-GRADE ORES
Unlocks value from large, low-grade and polymetallic mineral resources.
MULTI-METAL RECOVERY
Recovers multiple metals simultaneously from a single biological extraction system.
LOWER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Avoids high-temperature smelting emissions and reduces industrial waste streams.
SCALABLE & MODULAR
Heap systems expand gradually, allowing staged development.