Curtin in mining tech deal

A minerals extraction technology developed in partnership with Curtin University has sold to multinational chemicals business Draslovka.

The Czech-founded business acquired Mining and Process Solutions and its leaching technology - which was developed with Curtin University - for an undisclosed sum.

The technology is used to extract minerals such as gold, copper, cobalt and nickel by using amino acids such as glycine to leach ores.

Curtin exclusively licensed its glycine leaching technologies to MPS back in 2017, with the university to receive royalties from on-licensing to mining companies.

Curtin University Director of Commercialisation Rohan McDougall said Curtin researchers had spent years developing the leaching process to make it more efficient for extracting gold and other deposits.

“Now that it has made it to the global market, this technology will offer many benefits to resource industries, including being a much more efficient, safe and environmentally-friendly extraction method,” Mr McDougall said in a statement.

“It is fantastic that Curtin’s work over many years with minerals industry partner Mining and Process Solutions to commercialise the new process has culminated in the technology going global, thereby bringing its benefits to industry world-wide.”

Originally founded in 1906, Draslovka has gone on to become a global chemicals business with agricultural, mining and speciality chemicals divisions.