- Rio2 Limited and Sixth Wave Innovations have signed a contract to continue testing SIXW’s patented IXOS® purification polymer
- Sixth Wave will perform recovery tests from leach solution using its IXOS Mining Technology
- Testing will include 50 days of on-site operation of the system under a variety of testing scenarios to validate IXOS performance
- A long-term testing phase will provide operational data including the determination of the useful life of the IXOS® polymer beads
- Rio2 is a mining company focused on taking its Fenix Gold Project in Chile to production
- Sixth Wave is a development stage nanotechnology company in the process of commercializing its, IXOS® extraction polymers for the gold mining industry
- Rio2 Limited (RIO) opened trading at C$0.62 per share
- Sixth Wave (SIXW) opened trading at C$0.39 per share
Rio2 Limited (RIO) and Sixth Wave Innovations (SIXW) have signed a contract to continue testing SIXW’s patented IXOS® purification polymer.
Testing is taking place at Rio2’s Fenix Gold Project in Chile using Rio2’s nearby Lince Infrastructure facilities.
The contract follows the successful completion of testing on ore samples from Rio2’s Fenix Gold Project.
Under the terms of the previous LOI, Rio2 sent representative ore samples from its Fenix Gold Project to Sixth Wave for testing and analysis. The testing confirmed that IXOS® Mining Technology outperformed activated carbon on several key metrics including gold adsorption efficiency, ease of elution, and overall adsorption kinetics.
A comprehensive costs/benefits analysis was performed using the data obtained in the laboratory testing along with ongoing testing performed by Rio2 on activated carbon as part of their pilot operations.
Under the terms of the current contract, Sixth Wave will perform recovery tests from leach solution using its IXOS Mining Technology and the leaching columns already commissioned and utilized by Rio2 to evaluate adsorption kinetics and other parameters. The recovery tests, scheduled to begin in Q4 2021, will include 50 days of on-site operation of the system under a variety of testing scenarios to validate IXOS performance and determine additional details regarding the cost/benefit analysis.
Consistent with the terms of the LOI, Rio2 will pay for travel expenses, external test work, and the operation of the pilot equipment during the test.
The SIXW team will be lead by Mr. Nicol Newton, Sixth Wave’s Director of Technical Services and a 20-year gold mining veteran. Mr. Newton will be accompanied by Dr. Glen Southard, one of the inventors and developers of IXOS® Mining Technology.
Upon successful completion and receipt of positive results from the column test pilot program, the companies will move to a second near-site testing phase incorporating the IXOS Mining Technology into a long term pilot plant that will operate alongside the currently planned carbon adsorption circuit, This will provide long-term operational data including the determination of the useful life of the IXOS® polymer beads, and specifications for full-scale implementation pegged to the mine operation and potential future mine expansion plans.
Dr. Jon Gluckman, President and CEO of Sixth Wave commented on the partnership with Rio2.
“Sixth Wave continues to be very positive on the project and working relationship with Rio2. Moving to near-site testing with a solid and well-focused test plan will validate and extend the laboratory testing already completed and help both companies make defensible, data-driven decisions about the next steps toward adoption.
We have really been impressed by the Rio2 team and the investment in time and resources that they are making to further this program. We will continue to do our part to deliver a positive return on this investment through our contributions to the cost-sharing and delivering tangible benefits to Fenix Gold Project.”
Mr. Alex Black, President and CEO of Rio2 Limited commented,
“Rio2 is always looking to embrace and trial new technology with the objective of bringing enhanced value to our stakeholders through the reduced capex/opex opportunities that innovative technologies may bring. The Fenix Gold Project is currently the largest undeveloped gold heap leach project in the Americas and we look forward to working alongside Sixth Wave during the development phase of the project.”
Rio2 is a mining company focused on taking its Fenix Gold Project in Chile to production in the shortest possible timeframe based on a staged development strategy.
Sixth Wave is a development stage nanotechnology company with patented technologies that focus on extraction, purification, and detection of target substances at the molecular level using highly specialized Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs). The company is in the process of commercializing its, IXOS®, a line of extraction polymers for the gold mining industry.
Rio2 Limited (RIO) opened trading at C$0.62 per share.
Sixth Wave (SIXW) opened trading at C$0.39 per share.
