Bioleaching
Bioleaching
Bioleaching
Bioleachin
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BY, Sheama Farheen Savanur
SYNOPSIS
1.
2.
3.
4.
DEFINITION OF BIOLEACHING
MICROORGANISMS USED IN BIOLEACHING
CHEMISTRY OF BIOLEACHING
TYPES
EXAMPLES
COPPER LEACHING
URANIUM LEACHING
GOLD AND SILVER LEACHING
SILICA LEACHING
DEFINITION OF BIOLEACHING
Bioleaching is the process by
which metals are dissolved from
ore bearing rocks using
microorganisms.
Microorganisms used in
bioleaching
o
o
Chemistry of Bioleaching
Thiobacillus
Types
There are three commercial process used in
bioleaching;
a. Slope leaching
b. Heap leaching
c. In situ leaching
Slope leaching
Here the ores are first ground to get fine
pieces and then dumped into large leaching
dump
Water containing inoculum of thiobacillus is
continuously sprinkled over the ore
Water is collected from the bottom and used
to extract metals and generate bacteria in
an oxidation pond
Heap leaching
Here
In situ bioleaching
In this process the ore remains in its original
position in earth.
Surface blasting of earth is done to increase
the permeability of water.
Water containing thiobacillus is pumped
through drilled passages to the ores
Acidic water seeps through the rock and
collects at bottom
Example;
Copper leaching
Ores of copper from which copper is
recovered are,
Chalcocite(Cu2S)
Chalcopyrite(CuFeS2)
Covellite(CuS)
reactions
Chalcocite is oxidized to soluble form of
copper
Cu2S+O2+ CuS+Cu2+ +H2O
Uranium leaching
U2O+Fe2(SO4)3 UO2SO4+2FeSO4
Silica leaching
Ores of silica
Magnesite
Bauxite
Dolomite
Basalt
Mohanty et al.,(1990) isolated Bacillus
licheniformis from magnesite ore deposits
Later, it was shown to be associated with
bioleaching, concomitant mineralysis and
silican uptake by the bacterium
Thank you