Bioprocess for Leaching of Copper Concentrate

Maxim I. Muravyov; Natalya V. Fomchenko; Tamara F. Kondrat'eva

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.1130.359

Paper Titles

Comparative Study of Iron and Sulfur Speciation Transformation of Pyrite and Marcasite by Extreme Thermophilic Archaea Acidianus manzaensis
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Reductive Dissolution of Iron Oxides and Manganese Bioleaching by Acidiphilium cryptum JF-5
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Reductive Dissolution of Ferric Iron in Laterite Overburden Using Acidithiobacillus Spp. and Neutrophilic Iron-Reducing Consortia
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Primary Copper Ore Leaching by Leaching Solution Adjusted Oxidation-Reduction Potential in Column
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Bioprocess for Leaching of Copper Concentrate
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Bioleaching of Orpiment (As₂S₃) in Absence of Fe³⁺
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Insights into the Active Carbon Fixation Pathways of a Microbial Community in a Chalcopyrite Bioleaching Column
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Study on Bioleaching of Sulfur in Iron Ore by Mixed Culture
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Effect of Particle Size on the Column Bioleaching of Tibet Yulong Copper Ore
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HomeAdvanced Materials ResearchAdvanced Materials Research Vol. 1130Bioprocess for Leaching of Copper Concentrate

Bioprocess for Leaching of Copper Concentrate

Abstract:

A bioprocess for oxide-sulfide copper flotation concentrates has been proposed. It includes: i) chemical step – leaching with sulfuric acid solution and subsequent high temperature ferric leaching with microbially produced Fe³⁺-containing solution, and ii) biological step – bioregeneration of ferric iron along with additional biooxidation of the sulfide minerals using moderately thermophilic acidophilic microorganisms. The flotation copper concentrates contained 27.0–37.4% copper as sulfide (digenite, bornite, etc.) and oxide (malachite, azurite, tenorite, etc.) minerals. The acid leaching under batch conditions at 50°C and pH 1.2 during 22 hours led to 40.6% of copper recovery from the concentrate. Subsequent ferric leaching of the acid leach residue at 80°C, pulp density 9%, initial concentration of Fe³⁺ 30.7 g/L, and pH 1.2–1.3 during 7 hours increased the total copper recovery to 94.5%. Bioregeneration of the Fe³⁺ was conducted using moderately thermophilic microorganisms including bacteria of the genus Sulfobacillus at 40°C in the presence of 3% leach residue. The average ferrous iron biooxidation rate and total copper recovery within 2 days were 1.0 g/L∙h and 97%, respectively.Leaching of copper under semi-continuous conditions with bioregeneration of Fe³⁺ at 40°C was studied. It was found that copper recovery achieved 90% within 22 hours and the average oxidation rate of ferrous iron was up to 0.95 g/L·h.