Papers by Author: S.A. Seied Baghery

Abstract: Bioleaching of the copper flue dust emanating from smelters at Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex has been studied. At the present, the dust is sent back to the smelter, which reduces its efficiency. In this study, a continuous system including a feed tank and two-stage aerated stirred tank bioreactors was established. Mixed mesophile bacteria with different amounts of the dust containing 35% of copper mainly in the form of sulfide minerals were used. The effects of pulp densities, residence times and temperatures on the final copper recovery and redox potential were experienced. Despite the copper concentrates bioleaching, the process of dust bio-treating was net acid consuming. Lower pulp densities resulted in a stable redox potential in both reactors. However, increasing the pulp density to 7%, was created an unstable redox potential in the first bioreactor especially at lower temperatures. Final copper recoveries were calculated for pulp densities of 2%, 4% and 7%, were 91.8%, 90.3% and 87.6% with residence times of 2.7, 4 and 6 days respectively. The promising results indicated that bioleaching is a feasible process that can be applied to copper flue dusts.

Abstract: Several studies and different successful commercial applications had demonstrated that bioleaching can be an innovative approach that is capable to provide mining industry opportunities for essential growth in the medium term[2-18]. To identify the commercial application potential of bioleaching in Iranian copper industry, a research program was initiated. The objective of the main part of this program was to evaluate bacterial leaching processes for copper recovery from (i) high grade ores and flotation concentrates and (ii) low grade ores and flotation tailings. The latest results of these studies indicates the general operability of the bioleaching in both cases. At optimum conditions, the copper extraction from low grade materials was more than 80% and that from high grade ores and flotation concentrates about 95%, which should be high enough to justify the process economically.