Abstract: Chalcopyrite and bornite are two important copper minerals, and they often coexist. In this study, the co-bioleaching of chalcopyrite and silver-bearing bornite by mixed moderately thermophilic culture at 50 ◦C was investigated. The bioleaching results show that the extraction percentage of Cu for co-bioleaching of chalcopyrite (Ccp) and silver-bearing bornite (Bn) (Ccp/Bn = 3:1) was ...

The influence of sodium chloride on dissolution of chalcopyrite and surface sulfur speciation during bioleaching of chalcopyrite with the extreme thermophile Acidianus manzaensis YN-25 was studied. The addition of sodium chloride accelerated the dissolution of chalcopyrite by reducing the accumulation of elemental sulfur layers on the mineral surface, resulting in an increase in the concentrati...

The bioleachings of chalcopyrite ore were compared after inoculating different cultures enriched from the original acid mine drainage sample. The results showed that the higher bioleaching performance was achieved for inoculation with the enrichment D (0.5 % S, 2 % iron and 1 % chalcopyrite) compared to other enrichment systems. The generated ferric precipitation during bioleaching had a key in...

An integrated bioleaching system (stable pH-silver ion-chloride ion) was firstly proposed to for improving the efficiency of chalcopyrite bioleaching by mixed strains of Acidithiobacillus. The individual effects of stable pH, silver ion, and chloride ion on bioleaching were respectively studied. The highest copper ion concentrations in each system were 45.8, 50.2, and 45.2 mg/l, respectively, w...

This review outlines classic and current research, scientific documents and research achievements in bioleaching, particularly in respect of the bioleaching of chalcopyrite and pyrite. The diversity and commonality of the microbial leaching process can be easily studied through comparing the bioleaching mechanism and the application of these two metal sulfides. The crystal, electronic and surfa...

The apparent sulfur oxidation activities of four pure thermophilic archaea, Acidianus brierleyi (JCM 8954), Metallosphaera sedula (YN 23), Acidianus manzaensis (YN 25) and Sulfolobus metallicus (YN 24) and their mixture in bioleaching chalcopyrite were compared, which were characterized indirectly by the evolution of the cells concentration, pH value and sulfate ions concentration in solution. ...

The effect of applied DC potentials both in the positive and negative range, on the activity and growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, is discussed. In general, application of positive potentials up to +1000 mV in an acid bioleaching medium was found to be detrimental to bacterial activity, while the impression of negative potentials enhanced both their activity and growth through electrochemica...

The aim of this investigation was to determine the efficacy of chalcopyrite bioleaching using pure cultures of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans or Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and a mixed culture composed of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. The experiments were carried out in shake flasks with [Fe] 4 gL 1 and S 1 gL 1 at pH 1.80, 130 rpm and 30 C. Inocula of both...

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain D3-2, which has a high copper bioleaching activity, was isolated from a low-grade sulfide ore dump in Chile. The amounts of Cu(2+) solubilized from 1% chalcopyrite (CuFeS(2)) concentrate medium (pH 2.5) by A. ferrooxidans strains D3-2, D3-6, and ATCC 23270 and 33020 were 1360, 1080, 650, and 600 mg x l(-1) x 30 d(-1). The iron oxidase activities of D3-2, D3...

Although bioleaching of chalcopyrite by thermophilic microorganisms enhances the rate of copper recovery, a high temperature accelerates iron precipitation as jarosite, which can bring many operational problems in the industrial processes. In this research work, the bioleaching of chalcopyrite concentrate by the thermophilic Acidianus brierleyi was studied, and the microbial grow...