Thinking Critical Winners Announced. Five companies to shape the future of critical minerals in SA.
Last month The South Australian Department for Energy and Mining and Unearthed announced the winners of the Thinking Critical Challenge.
As a partner of the Challenge, CORE is pleased to give each of the five successful companies access to our new purpose build Adelaide Hub located in Lot Fourteen.
“Our aim is to provide connection to the South Australian energy and mining community and support these companies as they look to establish their businesses and help grow the critical minerals industry here in SA”, said Renee Hakendorf, National Innovation Hub Lead. Thinking Critical was focused on growing the state’s critical minerals processing and manufacturing capabilities to enrich the sector. The goal was to attract the best, most innovative and forward-thinking individuals and companies to South Australia.
Meet the Companies
Vancouver-based, Rockburst break rock and other materials with CO2. Their patent-pending Transcritical CO2 Pulverization (tCO2) technology aims to significantly reduce the energy consumed during mining comminution (particle reduction) as well as deliver embodied energy and emission savings as it does not utilize consumable media needed for impact-based techniques.
Their tCO2 technology has proven energy savings of close to 30% for certain ores compared to traditional comminution systems . The technology doesn’t require grinding media to break material, therefore saving in operational costs, energy and GHG emissions. The tCO2 is a dry process by default reducing the need for water consumption and they have found early evidence that our technology breaks ore along grain boundaries; if proven, this could help extract minerals easier and cheaper.
World Leader in extrusion measurement and control for all types of film and plastic sheets, Scantech offers optimized measurement solutions for battery production. Founded in 1992, Scantech is a technology driven company in online control and measurement. The company head office is located in France near Geneva, with subsidiaries in China and USA.
Scantech manufactures weight and thickness gauges and was the first company to introduce soft X-ray sensors for film applications, especially bi-oriented films. Since its creation, Scantech works in close collaboration with one of the three principal manufacturers of biax film lines, accumulating a considerable experience in this field. Scantech proposes a complete range of scanners as well as ergonomic and well studied software solutions. Its automatic profile regulation is one of fastest and most stable of its kind.
QL Space is a Perth-based space company, passionate about exploring the vast opportunities in space. Thier mission is to develop disruptive new space technology that transforms the sector through remote sensing satellites, sensors, data, and deep learning (AI+ML). With it, the team seek to bring transformative changes that benefit defence, mining, agriculture, the environment, and all future space missions.
The multidisciplinary, cross-functional team of experts’ long-term vision is to advance space mining and exploration of Near-Earth Objects (NEO) using hyperspectral image processing, advanced sensors hosted on Satellite, and more.
NDB, Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based nanotechnology company established for the development and manufacturing of semiconductor chipsets, battery solutions, and energy propulsion systems.
NDB or Nano Diamond Battery is an innovative energy generator and storage that redefines and revolutionizes the battery as we know it. Its long-lasting properties and longevity are ensured by converting the radioactive decay energy from nuclear waste into energy. NDB is tiny, modular, cost-effective, and scalable from chipset to industrial applications.
CBSM Mining Services
CBSM Mining Services was formed in 2018 to commercialise and build innovative patented South Australian dry and wet comminution technology for the global mining, cement and waste industries. The Gyratory Rolls Crusher (GRC) can operate in wet or dry process conditions to produce fine to ultrafine products.