Comparison of Biological and Chemical Leaching Heap Leaching Using Thiobacillus Thiooxidans

  • Sullivan E
  • Zajic J
  • Jack T
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Abstract

The microorganism usually associated with the microbial leaching of ores in T. ferroxidans. Where very acidic leaching conditions are required T. Thiooxidans is a more suitable organism; this approach has been applied to the leaching of metals, particularly vanadium, nickel and iron from petroleum coke (derived from the Athabasca Oil Sands bitumen using the flexicoking process). Heap leaching was simulated in airlift percolator columns. The extent of metal extraction depends primarily on the pH of the lixiviant, increasing as pH decreases. The bacteria do not appear to be able to utilize the sulphur content of the coke as an energy source and elemental sulphur must be added as a supplement; certain other nutrients are necessary, e.g. a source of inorganic nitrogen and phosphate for sustained optimal leaching. Under comparable conditions of acidity (pH), metal extraction by microbially-assisted leaching is comparable to that achieved by chemical leaching with H2SO4, i.e. about 30% of the total metal is recovered. During chemical leaching at a fixed pH, the major metals are released together at comparable rates but owing to the gradual lowering of pH during microbially-assisted leaching, nickel con be selectively removed as the bacteria are becoming established.

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Sullivan, E. A., Zajic, J. E., & Jack, T. R. (1980). Comparison of Biological and Chemical Leaching Heap Leaching Using Thiobacillus Thiooxidans. In Biogeochemistry of Ancient and Modern Environments (pp. 557–562). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-26582-6_60

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