Domestic, cheap, and near complete extraction of copper in minutes.
Our RACER (rapid and complete electrochemical reduction) technology streamlines permitting and unlocks the copper needed to create a robust domestic supply chain, and meet growing demand while providing significant cost savings.
RACER Modules at scale
Still Bright’s copper extraction and RACER (rapid and complete electrochemical reduction) modules:
Are customized to mine composition and throughput
Leverage existing mine infrastructure
Are compatible with a range of feedstocks from high-grade chalcopyrite to dirty and difficult copper ores
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Traditional resources:
High-grade chalcopyrite, other copper sulfide minerals
Standard copper concentrates: ground, concentrated ore
“Dirty” concentrates: high-impurity or “penalty-element” feedstocks
Non-traditional resources:
Unmined resources previously deemed too dirty (e.g., enargite)
Copper-rich mine waste
Low-grade chalcopyrite, other copper sulfides, mixed copper ore
RACER in action
Still Bright modules isolate solid copper and continuously recycle the extraction reagent. Sizing and downstream infrastructure may be customized to specific throughput and co-product requirements.
RACER is poised to become the world’s leading copper production process
Our technology outperforms traditional copper processing options and unlocks new sources of copper.
Current copper supply chain
Current Production
Smelting
80% of production
Efficient copper recovery, but high capital intensity + input sensitivity
ESG challenges restrict geography
Heap Leaching
20% of production
Slowed by sulfur passivation
Limited to low-grade copper oxides
No other co-products possible
Recovers 20-70% copper in months-years
untapped Production
“Dirty”, high-impurity resources
Often deemed too contaminated to economically or safely recover.
Result in expensive fees and/or poisonous emissions if processed.
Copper-rich mine waste
These can’t be smelted or heap leached
How Still Bright measures up
Matches smelting’s efficiency with major cost reductions and environmental and permitting benefits.
Flotation can be avoided to save 95+% of water usage
Novel reduction avoids sulfur passivation
Co-product recovery is feasible
Recovers 90-99% copper in minutes
Clean, closed system eliminates poisonous pollutants, enables flexibility to impurities
Powerful reaction chemistry supports recovery from from waste streams
Why copper?
Copper demand is expected to double by 2035.
Copper is considered a "critical material" because of its essential role in modern industries. Although copper is abundant, global supply shortages are on the horizon, driven by growing challenges and geopolitical risks associated with its extraction. The reliance on global transport for raw copper exports and refined copper imports has introduced avoidable risks and increased inefficiencies. With scarcity growing, the need for reliable, domestically driven solutions are more crucial than ever.
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Copper’s unique durability & conductivity make it essential to construction & energy
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Renewable energy uses 3-5x more copper than traditional energy sources
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Electric vehicles use ~3x the amount of copper as gas cars
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Datacenter use is exploding. 27 to 66 tonnes needed per MW, ~1.5M tonnes needed by 2030
Helping copper-rich nations become net exporters and copper powerhouses—starting here at home.
The United States has at least 90 million tonnes of economically recoverable copper, but limited processing capacity . With only two operational smelters nationwide, the U.S. is unable to process the copper that it mines. As a result, the U.S. exports roughly $3 billion of raw copper annually, only to import refined copper to meet growing demand. Despite its abundant domestic reserves, the U.S. is the second-largest importer of foreign copper.
Still Bright’s extraction technology aims to end this reliance on imports, reducing unnecessary transport and supply chain risks.
Still Bright is also changing the equation on what is deemed economically recoverable. By enabling difficult copper resources and streamlining permitting, the U.S. will be able to shift to producing enough copper to meet its own demands and beyond.
Work with us
Whether you’re looking to sell refined copper instead of concentrate, deal with a dirty stockpile, make use of an idle waste stream, or save costs for on-site processing, Still Bright has a better copper extraction solution.