Title: TWO-STAGE MICROBIAL LEACHING OF COPPER AND PRECIOUS METALS FROM A SULPHIDE ORE
Abstract: A rich-in-pyrite copper ore containing also gold and silver as valuable components was treated by a two-stage microbial leaching. The leaching was carried out in a percolation PVC column containing 30 kg of ore crushed to minus 10 mm. The ore was firstly leached by means of acidophilic chemolithotrophic bacteria and 68.0% of the copper was solubilized in this way within 10 months. At the same time, a considerable portion of the precious metals which initially were finely disseminated in sulphide minerals was liberated from the sulphide matrix as a result of the bacterial oxidation. The dissolved copper was precipitated from the pregnant solutions by cementation with metallic iron. The oxidized ore was then leached by means of alkaline solutions containing amino acids of microbial origin and thiosulphate to solubilize the precious metals. 77.7% of the gold and 55.4% of the silver were solubilize in this way within 25 days. The pregnant solutions were treated by cementation with metallic zinc to precipitate the precious metals as mixed gold-silver concentrates.
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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