Nickel Bioleaching at Elevated pH: Research and Application

Abstract:

Biohydrometallurgy has broad application prospect in the treatment of low-grade nickel sulfide ore. However, quite a number of nickel sulfide deposits are associated with basic gangue minerals such as contain olivine, serpentine. The high basic gangue minerals will lead to a higher acid consumption and make it difficult to bioleach at pH below 2.5. It is crucial to improve processes and adapt bacteria with this kind of ore. This paper reviews the experimental researches and industrial applications for bioleaching of the high acid consumption nickel sulfide ores. It is suggested that bioleaching at elevated pH will have similar leaching rate compared with pH below 2.5, meanwhile the cost will be decreased remarkably due to a lower acid consumption and less dissolved impurity ions.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 262)
• Pages: 197-201
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.262.197
• Online since: August 2017
• Authors: Jian Zhi Sun*, Bo Wei Chen, Jian Kang Wen, Biao Wu
• Keywords: Acid Consumption, Biohydrometallurgy, High Mangnesium, Microbial Activity, Nickel Sulfide Ores

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