Mining Chemicals
Pixon Chemie is a specialist manufacturer of mining chemicals for both metallic and non-metallic mining operations. Our portfolio of more than 60 specialised products reflects our technical capability and reliability across a broad range of mining chemical solutions.
Our mining chemicals support complex mining processes through specialist chemical technologies and technical expertise. Working across areas such as base metals, precious metals, battery metals, rare earths and industrial metals, our solutions are designed to support key outcomes including better recovery rates, improved purity, greater process control and technical support.
Our broad portfolio of mining chemical solutions applies to different stages of mineral processing. Our role is to help mining operators optimise their chemical processes and improve the efficiency of extraction and purification. Our offering combines our chemical portfolio with technical guidance, formulation support and process-specific recommendations.
Core Capabilities of Our Mining Chemicals
Examples of core capabilities that define our innovative mining chemical solutions include:
- Hydrometallurgical process optimisation – enables mines to improve chemical extraction and purification in liquid-based processing systems.
- Flotation chemistry – this supports the separation of valuable materials from waste material using specialist collectors, frothers and modifiers.
- Battery metals extraction – this covers chemicals used in the recovery and separation of lithium, nickel, cobalt and other materials that are used in battery production.
- Rare earth element processing – supports the separation and purification of light and heavy rare earth elements.
- Technical support and custom solutions – we help our customers to select or adapt chemicals based on their ore type, process route and recovery goals.
Why Choose Pixon Chemie for Mining Chemicals
Pixon Chemie has experience across a wide range of mining chemical applications, delivering technically focused innovative solutions to every stage of the mining process.
We support high-purity extraction and purification processes, positioning Pixon Chemie as a specialist in mining chemicals. Our solutions are always matched to our customers’ processes, backed by technical knowledge.
Metallic Mining Solutions
Base Metals Processing
Our mining chemicals support the processing of common industrial metals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc and lead. Our chemicals help to improve recovery, reduce contamination and make metal separation in mining processes more efficient.
Copper Circuit Products
Our mining chemicals for copper processing are applicable across multiple chemical stages, such as leaching, extraction, purification and electrowinning.
Using reagents, unwanted impurities can be removed from the copper circuit. Flotation chemicals can help to separate copper-bearing minerals from other materials in the ore to make copper extraction more efficient.
Frothers and collectors help valuable copper minerals attach to bubbles and rise during flotation, supporting more efficient copper processing.
Nickel & Cobalt Processing
Nickel and cobalt often require more controlled chemical separation because they can appear together in complex ores. Nickel and cobalt extraction chemical solutions are designed to remove impurities before separating them from each other. This is relevant in battery metal production, where separation reagents are crucial to maintain purity and consistency.
By using the right chemical programme for nickel and cobalt extraction, operators can support more reliable recovery and cleaner final outputs that prioritise quality and efficiency.
Zinc & Lead Operations
Zinc and lead processing often requires selective chemistry to separate each metal effectively. Flotation reagents in zinc and lead operations can activate or depress certain minerals, helping to target the right material at the right stage.
Our range of mining solutions for zinc and lead operations can support the recovery of zinc, lead flotation and lead-zinc separation. The benefit of selective chemistry is better control over mixed ore processing, supporting higher-quality results.
Molybdenum & Tungsten
Both molybdenum and tungsten often need specialist extraction or flotation chemistry because of their use in high-performance industrial applications.
Our chemicals can support molybdenum recovery, high-purity purification and copper-molybdenum separation. For tungsten processing, this may involve flotation reagents designed for more specific mineral types. Our extraction and flotation chemistry solutions for molybdenum and tungsten focus on precision, selectivity and high-purity recovery.
Precious Metals
Precious metals include gold, silver and platinum group metals, with our chemicals supporting flotation, leaching, extraction and refining stages. Our chemicals help maximise value from high-value ores where recovery efficiency is critical.
For gold and silver, reagents may help recover fine particles, sulphide-associated gold or free gold. For platinum group metals, specialist extraction chemistry can support selective recovery of metals such as platinum, palladium, rhodium and ruthenium.
Gold & Silver
Gold and silver recovery can include flotation, leaching or solution extraction. However, different ores require different chemical approaches.
With flotation, reagents help recover gold-bearing minerals from ore. For fine bubble control, this can support the recovery of smaller or harder-to-capture particles. With leaching and extraction chemicals, these can support downstream recovery after flotation.
Platinum Group Metals
Highly selective chemistry is required for platinum group metals because of how valuable they are, and because they often occur in complex deposits. Our chemical range can support the recovery of platinum, palladium, rhodium and related metals.
For platinum group metals, flotation reagents help concentrate valuable minerals before further refining. Not only this, but extraction chemistry can then also help separate individual metals.
The main benefit of premium chemical solutions for platinum group metal processing is improved selectivity and more controlled recovery of high-value materials.
Battery & Energy Metals
As demand grows across the battery metals market, our solutions support the processing of lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements for use in batteries, renewable energy, electric vehicles and advanced technologies.
With chemicals that can support extraction, separation, purification and process control, Pixon Chemie can support both conventional mining and emerging metal applications.
Lithium Extraction
Chemical solutions for lithium extraction are used to recover lithium from brines or other lithium-bearing sources. Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) is a process designed to selectively recover lithium more efficiently. Any supporting chemicals can help with brine processing, pH control and purification.
The benefit of premium chemical solutions is better lithium selectivity, cleaner output and improved process performance.
Rare Earth Elements
Rare earth processing involves separating groups of elements that are chemically similar. Light rare earths include elements such as lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium. On the other end of the scale, heavy rare earths include elements such as dysprosium, terbium, yttrium and erbium.
Chemicals can support primary separation, advanced purification and individual element recovery. Rare earth flotation chemicals can also help recover rare earth-bearing minerals before separation and purification.
Solvent Extraction Reagents
Pixon Chemie produces a range of high-performance solvent extraction (SX) reagents for the selective recovery and separation of high-value metals. Our PXi series delivers strong selectivity, excellent stability and proven performance at commercial scale.
PXi 272, our phosphinic acid extractant, provides high selectivity for cobalt over nickel from both sulphate and chloride media – a proven reagent for battery-metal production. It also supports selective zinc recovery and the separation of heavy rare earth elements.
Key capabilities:
- Cobalt–nickel separation – high selectivity for efficient battery-metal recovery
- Heavy rare earth separation – supports recovery of heavy rare earth elements including thulium, ytterbium and lutetium
- Zinc recovery – selective extraction in the presence of calcium and cobalt
- Process stability – excellent resistance to heat and hydrolysis for long solvent life
Specialty & Critical Metals
Specialty and critical metals include harder-to-process and strategically important materials. With the inclusion of metals such as vanadium, titanium, scandium and tin, these materials often require more specialised chemical handling, purification and recovery processes.
Our solutions for specialty and critical metals focus on technical capability, selective processing and regulatory awareness.
Other Critical Metals
Metals such as vanadium, titanium, scandium and tin are often used in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, energy storage and high-performance industrial applications.
Our chemical solutions can support recovery, purification and separation where standard processing may not be selective enough. Critical metals often need more tailored chemical processes because they are valuable, technically demanding and harder to separate efficiently – that's where Pixon Chemie comes in.
Flotation Reagents Suite
Flotation reagents are chemicals used to separate valuable minerals from unwanted material. Collectors help valuable minerals attach to air bubbles during flotation, whilst frothers help create and stabilise bubbles so minerals can be lifted and separated.
In our flotation reagents suite, we also have modifiers that help control the chemical environment, improving selectivity and process performance.
Collectors
As a flotation reagent, collectors make target minerals more likely to attach to bubbles in the flotation process. Different collector types suit different ore types and mineral targets
They’re used to improve mineral recovery and separation efficiency, acting as essential chemicals for mineral flotation.
Frothers
Frothers control bubble formation during flotation. Good froth stability helps valuable minerals rise to the surface for recovery.
Different frothers can be used depending on the required bubble size and process conditions. Pixon Chemie frothers are designed to support improved flotation control and better fine particle recovery.
Modifiers
Modifiers are used to adjust the flotation environment so the desired minerals can be separated more effectively. They can help activate certain minerals, suppress unwanted materials or control pH.
These chemicals are important where ores are complex or contain multiple valuable minerals. With Pixon Chemie, you’ll receive better selectivity and more controlled processing.
Non-Metallic & Industrial Solutions
Phosphate Processing
Phosphate processing chemicals can support purification and process efficiency. The recovery of by-products from phosphate streams may also be supported by some chemicals.
Defoaming applications in phosphate processing also help control foam during industrial processing. The Pixon Chemie chemical range for phosphate processing can support cleaner processing, improved control and more efficient production.
Industrial Minerals
Industrial minerals may need flotation and process control chemicals to improve recovery or purity. Mining process chemicals can help separate oxide minerals or improve mineral concentration.
Our process control chemicals help keep production stable and consistent, supporting reliability, product quality and operational efficiency.
Phosphate Esters
Phosphate esters are versatile industrial chemicals used across several processing applications. In mining and industrial environments, they can be used as defoamers, plasticisers, flame retardants and process aids.
For defoaming applications, they help control excess foam which can disrupt production and reduce process efficiency. Flame-retardant uses can support safer material performance in certain industrial applications, whereas process aid applications help improve handling, stability and performance within a wider chemical system.
Phosphate esters are flexible support chemicals that help improve process control, safety and material performance.
Process Chemicals
Process chemicals support the wider mining operation, not just extraction. These can include pH control agents, organic modifiers, mist suppressants, biocides, catalysts and defoamers.
Process chemicals help improve safety, consistency, efficiency and process stability, with our range offering broader chemical support across the mining process.
Integrated Process Solutions
Rather than focusing on isolated products, Pixon Chemie manufactures chemicals that can support full process routes. This means we can support customers from extraction through to purification and final processing.
For example, our series of mining chemical solutions can be applied across different stages of battery metal recovery, rare earth separation, copper processing and gold recovery.
With end-to-end chemical support for mineral processing circuits, Pixon Chemie can act as a technical partner across the wider process route.
Technical Specifications
The products manufactured by Pixon Chemie are supported by strict quality control and technical documentation. Our quality assurance process supports every stage of production, helping to ensure quality, consistency and reliable performance.
Our mining customers need reliable, repeatable chemical performance, which is why we are well placed to support technical buyers and procurement teams.
Quality Assurance
Our quality assurance helps demonstrate to customers that our products are manufactured with consistency and professionalism. When working with Pixon Chemie, you can expect:
- Batch-to-batch consistency, so our customers can expect the same quality each time they order.
- A Certificate of Analysis for each product to give technical buyers proof of product quality and specification.
- Technical data sheets to help customers understand handling, application and performance information.
- Application support from Pixon Chemie to help our customers choose the right chemical for their process.
Small changes in quality can affect recovery, purity and process stability, which is why working with Pixon Chemie is the documented and reliable choice.
Premium Product Features
The strongest technical capabilities of our products prioritise performance, purity, speed and certification.
Selected products in our range are designed to support high active content, high-purity outputs, fast phase separation and specialist-grade chemical performance.
These specialist product features are useful for technical buyers who need chemicals that meet strict process requirements. Our premium mining chemicals can help improve process efficiency, recovery quality and confidence in demanding applications.
Packaging Standards
Depending on customer requirements, our chemicals are available in drums, IBCs, bulk containers or custom packaging. We offer flexibility for different operation sizes, from smaller facilities to large-scale mining sites.
Our packaging focuses on safe handling, transport efficiency and operational convenience for our customers.
Regulatory Compliance
When it comes to regulatory compliance, mining chemicals must be accompanied by the correct safety and transport documentation. Safety Data Sheets are available for all products, with Pixon Chemie manufacturing products in line with relevant UN hazard classifications and REACH compliance where applicable.
We want our customers to know that we understand chemical handling, shipping and regulatory requirements for fast and efficient production and transport.
Work with Pixon Chemie
By partnering with Pixon Chemie, you'll gain access to a manufactured portfolio of over 60 mining chemicals, backed by formulation support and process-specific technical guidance across the full extraction and purification route.
Contact Pixon Chemie Today
London HQ, 16 Berkeley Street, London, W1J 8DZ