Bioleaching of a cobalt-containing pyrite in stirred reactors: A case study from laboratory scale to industrial application

Abstract

The Kilembe sulfide deposit in the district of Kasese (located 420 km west of Kampala, Uganda), which was mined for 26 years (1956-1982), produced 16 million tons of copper ore and a cobalt-rich pyrite concentrate that had been stockpiled at the Kasese railway terminal, 12 km downhill from Kilembe Mine. The amount of concentrate available on site was approximately 900,000 t and contained approximately 80% pyrite and 1.38% cobalt, (an estimated cobalt metal reserve of some 11,300 t). Most of the cobalt is disseminated in ionic form within the pyrite lattice.