Process engineering aspects of the bioleaching of copper ores

✍ Scribed by F. Acevedo; J. C. Gentina

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 718 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1615-7605
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00369176

✦ Synopsis

The bioleaching of minerals is a complex process that is affected by a number of biological, mineralogical, electrochemical and engineering factors. This work presents and discusses the most significant process engineering aspects involved in the bacterial leaching of copper ores, i.e. bacterial population, type of mineral and particIe size, nutrients and inhibitors, oxygen and carbon dioxide, temperature and pH, leaching kinetics and operation mode.

It is concluded that more work is needed in this area in order to gain a deeper insight in the many factors that govern this process. This would allow to significantly improve its overall productivity.

List of symbols

CL

kg/m 3 C* kg/m 3 d',e',f',g ~ % D m K Ks, K~, Kr -kLa h -1 M b mol/kg -I N s F/

Table 2. Common sulfide copper ores Chalcocite Covellite Chalcopyrite Bornite Tetrahedrite Enargite Cu2S CuS CuFeS 2 CusFeS~ Cu3SbS 3 Cu3AsS 4