In this exclusive interview, we spoke with the team at ChucaoTech, a Chilean technology company specializing in innovative nanobubble injection systems. ChucaoTech is revolutionizing the mining industry by enhancing efficiency and sustainability in leaching and flotation processes, ultimately improving mineral recovery rates while reducing environmental impact. Their patented technology aims to address key challenges such as low recovery of fines, difficult-to-leach minerals, and high chemical and water usage, making them critical to the future of sustainable mining practices.

To start, could you give our readers a brief introduction to ChucaoTech? What is the core mission and vision that drives your company?

ChucaoTech is a Chilean technology company founded in 2018 in the heart of Patagonia, specializing in nanobubble injection systems designed to enhance efficiency and sustainability across aquaculture, agriculture, and mining sectors. Our patented technology enables the industrial-scale infusion of gases—primarily oxygen—into process liquids, significantly improving productivity while reducing environmental impact.

Our mission is to develop technological solutions with global impact based on our nanobubble technology. We aim to be a positive and transformative force, using technology and innovation to address current challenges and contribute to development and environmental sustainability. 

In mining, our nanobubble systems are applied in leaching and flotation processes, enhancing mineral recovery rates while minimizing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. This approach aligns with the industry’s shift toward more sustainable practices.

Our commitment to innovation and sustainability has been recognized with several awards, including the PwC Innovation Award in 2024 for our high-efficiency nanobubble generator. We continue to expand our reach, with operations extending to North America, Europe, and Africa, and we are proud to be the only Chilean company with a patent for nanobubble injection technology. 

At ChucaoTech, we believe in revitalizing the planet’s natural resources through cutting-edge technology, striving to make a meaningful impact on both industry performance and environmental stewardship.

ChucaoTech is built around innovative nanobubble technology. For our audience who may not be familiar, could you explain in simple terms what nanobubbles are and what makes your generation process unique and efficient?

Nanobubbles are microscopic gas bubbles—thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand—that stay suspended in liquid without rising to the surface or bursting like regular bubbles. Despite their tiny size, they have remarkable properties: they can increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in water, improve chemical reactions, and enhance the transport of gases and particles in industrial processes.

At ChucaoTech, we’ve developed a patented nanobubble injector that stands out for its efficiency, scalability, and adaptability to challenging industrial environments like mining. Our technology doesn’t just produce nanobubbles—it does so at high flow rates and pressure conditions, making it suitable for large-scale operations such as heap leaching and flotation.

What makes our system unique is the way we combine mechanical precision with fluid dynamics to generate a high concentration of nanobubbles using minimal energy. This results in better metal recovery, reduced chemical consumption, and lower environmental impact—a crucial advantage in today’s transition toward more sustainable mining practices.

In Flotation:

In flotation, the challenge is often recovering fines and ultrafines, which are mineral particles too small to attach effectively to conventional air bubbles. Nanobubbles improve this process in two ways:

1. They modify the mineral surface properties, increasing the hydrophobicity of valuable particles and improving their attachment to flotation bubbles.
2. They act as nucleation points, promoting the formation of microbubbles around them, which enhances bubble-particle interaction and improves recovery of fine particles.

The result is a more efficient and selective flotation process, with better grade and recovery—especially critical in low-grade or complex ores.

In Leaching:

In leaching, the key is oxidizing and dissolving the target metals—especially copper and gold from sulfide ores. Our oxygen nanobubbles enhance this process by:

1. Increasing the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the leaching solution, providing a more reactive environment for metal dissolution.
2. Enhancing the oxidation of ferric iron (Fe³⁺), a key oxidizing agent in sulfide leaching, thereby accelerating the chemical reactions.
3. Improving penetration into the mineral matrix, as nanobubbles can infiltrate microscopic cracks and pores, reaching areas that conventional systems can’t.

This leads to higher metal recovery, shorter leaching cycles, and reduced chemical consumption, all while lowering the environmental footprint.

What was the genesis of ChucaoTech? How did you identify the potential of nanobubble technology for industrial applications, leading to the company’s formation?

ChucaoTech was born from a desire to merge environmental innovation with industrial impact. The idea began in southern Chile, where we were exploring how to improve water quality in aquaculture systems using nanobubbles. As we tested and refined the technology, we realized its potential went far beyond fish tanks.

What really sparked ChucaoTech’s industrial focus was our exposure to the mining sector. We saw that many of the industry’s biggest challenges—poor recovery of fines, difficult-to-leach minerals, high chemical and water usage—could be tackled with the properties of nanobubbles. But the solutions on the market weren’t robust or scalable enough for these extreme environments.

That’s when we made the leap: we engineered our own high-performance nanobubble injector, capable of operating under high pressure, flow, and harsh industrial conditions. It was a major technical milestone—and the foundation of what is now ChucaoTech.

From day one, our vision has been to create technology with global reach that helps industries become more efficient, profitable, and sustainable. Nanobubbles are the tool, but the mission is transformation.

ChucaoTech offers solutions across various industries. Could you elaborate on why the mining sector is a key focus for your technology? What specific challenges in mining did you identify that nanobubbles can address?

The mining sector is a strategic focus for ChucaoTech because it sits at the heart of the global energy transition—and faces both operational and systemic challenges that nanobubbles can help solve.

To meet climate targets, the world needs massive amounts of copper for electrification, batteries, and renewable energy infrastructure. But the International Energy Agency projects a global shortfall of over 8 million tons of copper by 2030. This creates enormous pressure to extract more metal from existing resources, but most of the remaining ores are lower grade, more complex, and harder to process efficiently.

That’s where our nanobubble technology comes in.

1. In flotation, we tackle the long-standing issue of low recovery of fines and ultrafines, especially in polymetallic ores. Our nanobubbles enhance bubble-particle interactions and modify surface properties to increase recovery rates—helping producers get more value from every ton of ore.
2. In leaching, especially of sulfide ores, oxygen nanobubbles boost the oxidative environment, increasing ferric iron generation and improving copper dissolution. This means higher recoveries, faster kinetics, and lower chemical usage.
3. And critically, our technology is aligned with sustainable mining goals: it reduces water consumption, chemical inputs, and energy use—lowering the carbon footprint per ton of metal produced.

In short, ChucaoTech helps miners produce more copper with fewer resources, precisely what the energy transition demands. That’s why we’re focused on scaling our solutions across leading operations in Chile, Peru, and beyond.

Your website details applications in leaching and flotation processes. Could you walk us through how your nanobubble technology specifically enhances these processes in a typical mining operation? What are the tangible benefits miners can expect – for instance, in terms of mineral recovery rates for commodities like copper, gold, and molybdenum?

In Leaching (e.g., for Copper and Gold):

Leaching relies heavily on oxidation-reduction reactions to dissolve metals from ore. In sulfide ores, this process is limited by:

• Low levels of dissolved oxygen
• Poor oxidation of ferric iron (Fe³⁺)
• Inaccessible microfractures in the mineral matrix

ChucaoTech’s oxygen nanobubbles address all three. They dramatically increase dissolved oxygen levels, enhance the redox potential (Eh), and reach into fine cracks and pores that conventional bubbles can’t. This creates a more reactive, oxidizing environment—ideal for faster and more complete metal dissolution.

Tangible Results: In field pilots, we’ve seen increases in copper and gold recovery between 7% and 15%, while also reducing acid and oxidant consumption.

In Flotation (e.g., for Copper, Molybdenum, and Gold):

Fines and ultrafines often escape recovery in traditional flotation systems. They’re too small to attach effectively to macro-bubbles, leading to lost value and poor tailings grades.

Nanobubbles help by:

• Enhancing particle hydrophobicity, improving their affinity for air bubbles
• Promoting microbubble formation on their surface, aiding attachment
• Stabilizing froth and improving selectivity, which enhances concentrate quality

Tangible Results: In flotation trials, we’ve achieved 2%–7% increases in metal recovery, especially in circuits handling fine or complex ores. We’ve also seen improved concentrate grades and more stable operation

The bottom line for miners?
ChucaoTech helps operations recover more metal, faster, with lower reagent costs and less environmental impact. It’s a low-footprint, high-impact upgrade to existing infrastructure—with results measurable in dollars per ton.

Beyond recovery rates, what other operational efficiencies or environmental benefits does your technology offer to mining companies? For example, how does it impact water usage, energy consumption, or the need for chemical reagents like cyanide or sulfuric acid?

Beyond increasing metal recovery, our technology delivers significant operational efficiencies and sustainability benefits that directly impact a mine’s bottom line and ESG performance.

1. Reduced Chemical Consumption

Nanobubbles enhance reaction kinetics and improve mass transfer, meaning less sulfuric acid or cyanide is required to achieve the same or better metal dissolution. In leaching, we’ve observed reductions in reagent use of up to 20–30%, particularly in oxidants and acids.

2. Lower Water Usage

By improving flotation and leaching efficiency, our systems allow for shorter processing cycles and better resource utilization. This can translate into less water circulated per ton of ore processed—a major advantage in water-scarce regions like Chile and Peru.

3. Energy Savings

Our injectors operate at high flow with low energy demand. More importantly, by making processes more efficient (e.g., faster leaching or higher flotation selectivity), we help reduce energy-intensive recirculation and grinding requirements.

4. Improved Tailings Management

Higher recovery rates and cleaner separation lead to less metal in tailings, lowering environmental risks and potential liabilities. This also contributes to circularity, as tailings with remaining value can be economically reprocessed using our system.

5. Lower Carbon Footprint

Combining all of the above—less chemical use, less water, and lower energy—results in a reduced CO₂ footprint per ton of copper, gold, or molybdenum produced, aligning with the industry’s goals for low-emission production and green metals.

In summary, ChucaoTech’s nanobubble technology is not just about boosting recovery—it’s about enabling smarter, cleaner, and more sustainable mining operations.

Could you share any specific case studies or project examples (while respecting confidentiality if needed) where your nanobubble technology has been implemented in a mining context and the results that were achieved?

We conducted a controlled experiment using 6-meter columns, testing the performance of oxygen nanobubbles and air nanobubbles against a baseline with no nanobubbles. The ore used presented unfavorable chemical conditions, including lower concentrations of soluble copper and iron, and a limited presence of easily leachable mineral species.

Despite these challenges, the column treated with oxygen nanobubbles achieved a copper recovery of 71.2%, which is 7.3 percentage points higher than the baseline case at 63.9%.

The data showed that variability due to factors like mineralogy and soluble Fe and Cu was minimal. This indicates that the dissolved oxygen delivered via nanobubbles was actively consumed in the system, contributing directly to faster leaching kinetics and enhanced metal recovery.

This test confirmed what we’ve consistently seen across different pilots: our nanobubble technology can improve performance even under less-than-ideal conditions, offering a powerful tool for increasing recovery in sulfide copper leaching.

What kind of integration process is involved for a mining operation looking to adopt ChucaoTech’s solutions? How adaptable is your technology to existing mine infrastructure and varying ore types?

One of the strengths of ChucaoTech’s solution is its plug-and-play adaptability. Our nanobubble systems are designed to integrate seamlessly into existing mine infrastructure—whether in heap leaching, column testing, or flotation circuits—without requiring major CAPEX or redesign.

Integration Process:

The process typically involves:

1. Site assessment – We evaluate process flow, ore type, and existing pumping and irrigation systems.
2. Pilot installation – We install a modular nanobubble injector on a defined circuit (e.g., a leaching line or flotation conditioning tank).
3. Monitoring and optimization – We collect data on Eh, DO, recovery rates, and reagent usage to measure impact and fine-tune operation.
4. Scale-up – Once results are validated, the system is scaled across additional circuits or pads.

Our injectors are compact, energy-efficient, and compatible with a wide range of flow rates and pressures, making them suitable for remote and high-altitude operations. The setup is usually completed in days, not weeks.

Adaptability to Ore Types:

Our technology has proven effective across various ore types—including complex polymetallics, low-grade oxides, and refractory sulfides—because nanobubbles improve both chemical reactivity (oxidation) and physical interactions (flotation). Whether the challenge is poor leaching kinetics or fine particle recovery, nanobubbles help unlock trapped value.

In short, adopting ChucaoTech’s solutions is a low-disruption, high-impact decision—one that delivers measurable gains without overhauling operations.

1. Congratulations on recently winning the PwC Innovation 2024 Award for your high-efficiency nanobubble generator. Could you tell us more about the innovation that led to this recognition and its significance for your work in the mining industry?

Thank you — we were honored to receive the PwC Innovation 2024 Award, which recognized the development of our high-efficiency nanobubble generator. This recognition validates years of engineering and fieldwork focused on one goal: making nanobubbles industrially viable and impactful, especially in demanding sectors like mining.

What makes our innovation stand out is its ability to generate high concentrations of nanobubbles at scale, under high flow and pressure conditions, using minimal energy. This is a major leap from previous systems that were either too fragile, inefficient, or not scalable for real mining environments.

Our generator is:

• Modular and robust, adaptable to various circuit sizes and flow rates
• Designed for continuous operation in harsh conditions, including acidic solutions and abrasive slurries
• Capable of working with different gases (oxygen, air, ozone), giving operators flexibility depending on their process needs

For mining specifically, this means we can deliver a stable supply of dissolved oxygen in nanobubble form, improving leaching kinetics and flotation performance with little or no change to existing infrastructure.

The award has helped spotlight the broader importance of process intensification through clean technologies, and it reinforces our mission: to help mining companies become more productive, cost-efficient, and sustainable through deep-tech solutions developed in Latin America, for global industry challenges.

We understand that partnerships can be crucial in deploying new technologies. Are there any collaborations, perhaps with equipment providers like PCI Gases or others, that are helping you deliver your solutions to the mining sector?

You’re absolutely right—partnerships are essential to scaling deep-tech solutions like ours in the mining sector.

At ChucaoTech, we actively seek collaborations with technology integrators who recognize our nanobubble systems as a value-added enhancement to their core offerings. These are companies already working in areas like process engineering, fluid systems, or chemical delivery, who can incorporate our technology into broader, turnkey solutions for mining clients.

We are currently developing partnerships with international firms that can help us rapidly scale the commercialization of our solution across key mining markets. The goal is to combine their market reach and implementation capacity with our technology, enabling faster adoption and greater impact on-site.

In short, we don’t aim to go it alone—we believe in building alliances with companies that share our vision of cleaner, more efficient mining. Together, we can deliver innovation that’s practical, scalable, and aligned with the industry’s future.

Looking ahead, what is ChucaoTech’s vision for the future of nanobubble technology within the mining industry? Are there new applications or advancements in the pipeline that you are excited about?

Looking ahead, our vision is for nanobubbles to become a core enabler in the evolution of mining into a more efficient, sustainable, and intelligent industry.

While we already see strong results in flotation and traditional leaching, what excites us most is the potential of nanobubbles in the leaching of primary sulfides—a challenge the industry has struggled with for decades. These minerals, such as chalcopyrite, are notoriously difficult to process under conventional conditions. But our technology has shown early signs that oxygen nanobubbles can significantly enhance redox conditions and improve copper recovery in these complex systems.

If we can unlock primary sulfide leaching at scale, it would represent a step-change for the copper supply chain—especially at a time when demand is rising and easy-to-process ores are running out.

Beyond that, we’re also advancing new applications in:

• Water treatment with ozone and oxygen nanobubbles
• Reprocessing of tailings and low-grade stockpiles
• Intelligent control systems for automated gas dosing based on real-time process variables

In the future, we believe nanobubbles will be as standard in mining circuits as pH or DO monitoring is today. The industry needs to extract more metal with fewer inputs and less impact—and we’re building the tools to make that possible.

For mining companies interested in learning more or potentially exploring a pilot project, what is the best way for them to engage with ChucaoTech?

For mining companies interested in learning more or exploring a pilot, the best way to engage with us is to reach out directly through our website at www.chucaotech.com, or contact us via email at tbravo@chucaotech.com. We’re happy to set up an initial technical meeting to understand your specific process challenges and explore how our technology could add value.

We typically start with a diagnostic phase, where we evaluate your process conditions—ore type, circuit design, and recovery gaps—and propose a tailored pilot or integration plan. Our team is experienced in working with both major operations and agile mid-tier producers across Latin America, and we’re currently expanding our activities into new regions.

Whether you’re aiming to improve recovery, reduce reagent use, or take a step toward decarbonizing your process, we’re ready to collaborate and help turn nanobubbles into measurable results.

The above references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a licensed professional for investment advice. The author is not an insider or shareholder of any of the companies mentioned above.

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