Indirect oxidative bioleaching of a polymetallic black schist sulfide ore

Eva Pakostova; Barry M. Grail; D. Barrie Johnson

doi:10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028

Indirect oxidative bioleaching of a polymetallic black schist sulfide ore

Eva Pakostova, Barry M. Grail, D. Barrie Johnson

Bangor University

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Abstract

Biomining of base and precious metal-containing sulfidic ores and concentrates is an important global biotechnology. Currently, mineral bio-processing is carried out in dumps, heaps and stirred tanks located on the land surface. An alternative approach, ‘‘deep in situ biomining”, would solubilise target metals from fractured ore bodies buried deep (>1 km) underground, using a microbially-generated acidic, ferric iron-rich lixiviant. Pregnant leach solutions (PLS) generated are pumped to the land surface where metals are extracted and recovered, ferric iron regenerated in a bioreactor and the oxidised lixiviant re-injected underground. To examine the feasibility of using an indirect bioleaching approach to extract metals from an ore body, a laboratory test was carried out using a polymetallic sulfidic black schist ore (from Talvivaara, Finland) in a non-aerated column reactor, maintained at 30 C at atmospheric pressure. Following an initial acid leaching phase (using 100 mM sulfuric acid) the ore was subjected to ferric iron-catalyzed oxidative dissolution using a lixiviant generated in a laboratory-scale ferric irongenerating bioreactor (FIGB). During the 16 week time course of the experiment, 93% of manganese, 88% of cobalt, 79% of nickel, 75% of iron, 75% of zinc and 55% of copper present in the ore was extracted. The planktonic microbial populations in the FIGB and those in the PLS were similar, and dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, iron-oxidising Acidithiobacillus spp. and the archaeon Ferroplasma acidophilum.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	102-107
Number of pages	6
Journal	Minerals Engineering
Volume	106
Early online date	2 Sept 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028
Publication status	Published - May 2017

Bibliographical note

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Minerals Engineering. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Minerals Engineering, 106], (2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028

© 2017, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Keywords

Bioreactors
In situ bioleaching
Polymetallic ores

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10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028

Post-PrintAccepted author manuscript, 558 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{f6650374ac194a81800df87aaea0d658,

title = "Indirect oxidative bioleaching of a polymetallic black schist sulfide ore",

abstract = "Biomining of base and precious metal-containing sulfidic ores and concentrates is an important global biotechnology. Currently, mineral bio-processing is carried out in dumps, heaps and stirred tanks located on the land surface. An alternative approach, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}deep in situ biomining”, would solubilise target metals from fractured ore bodies buried deep (>1 km) underground, using a microbially-generated acidic, ferric iron-rich lixiviant. Pregnant leach solutions (PLS) generated are pumped to the land surface where metals are extracted and recovered, ferric iron regenerated in a bioreactor and the oxidised lixiviant re-injected underground. To examine the feasibility of using an indirect bioleaching approach to extract metals from an ore body, a laboratory test was carried out using a polymetallic sulfidic black schist ore (from Talvivaara, Finland) in a non-aerated column reactor, maintained at 30 C at atmospheric pressure. Following an initial acid leaching phase (using 100 mM sulfuric acid) the ore was subjected to ferric iron-catalyzed oxidative dissolution using a lixiviant generated in a laboratory-scale ferric irongenerating bioreactor (FIGB). During the 16 week time course of the experiment, 93% of manganese, 88% of cobalt, 79% of nickel, 75% of iron, 75% of zinc and 55% of copper present in the ore was extracted. The planktonic microbial populations in the FIGB and those in the PLS were similar, and dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, iron-oxidising Acidithiobacillus spp. and the archaeon Ferroplasma acidophilum.",

keywords = "Bioreactors, In situ bioleaching, Polymetallic ores",

author = "Eva Pakostova and Grail, {Barry M.} and Johnson, {D. Barrie}",

note = "NOTICE: this is the author{\textquoteright}s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Minerals Engineering. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Minerals Engineering, 106], (2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028 {\textcopyright} 2017, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ",

year = "2017",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028",

language = "English",

volume = "106",

pages = "102--107",

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T1 - Indirect oxidative bioleaching of a polymetallic black schist sulfide ore

AU - Pakostova, Eva

AU - Grail, Barry M.

AU - Johnson, D. Barrie

N1 - NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Minerals Engineering. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Minerals Engineering, 106], (2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028 © 2017, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

PY - 2017/5

Y1 - 2017/5

N2 - Biomining of base and precious metal-containing sulfidic ores and concentrates is an important global biotechnology. Currently, mineral bio-processing is carried out in dumps, heaps and stirred tanks located on the land surface. An alternative approach, ‘‘deep in situ biomining”, would solubilise target metals from fractured ore bodies buried deep (>1 km) underground, using a microbially-generated acidic, ferric iron-rich lixiviant. Pregnant leach solutions (PLS) generated are pumped to the land surface where metals are extracted and recovered, ferric iron regenerated in a bioreactor and the oxidised lixiviant re-injected underground. To examine the feasibility of using an indirect bioleaching approach to extract metals from an ore body, a laboratory test was carried out using a polymetallic sulfidic black schist ore (from Talvivaara, Finland) in a non-aerated column reactor, maintained at 30 C at atmospheric pressure. Following an initial acid leaching phase (using 100 mM sulfuric acid) the ore was subjected to ferric iron-catalyzed oxidative dissolution using a lixiviant generated in a laboratory-scale ferric irongenerating bioreactor (FIGB). During the 16 week time course of the experiment, 93% of manganese, 88% of cobalt, 79% of nickel, 75% of iron, 75% of zinc and 55% of copper present in the ore was extracted. The planktonic microbial populations in the FIGB and those in the PLS were similar, and dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, iron-oxidising Acidithiobacillus spp. and the archaeon Ferroplasma acidophilum.

AB - Biomining of base and precious metal-containing sulfidic ores and concentrates is an important global biotechnology. Currently, mineral bio-processing is carried out in dumps, heaps and stirred tanks located on the land surface. An alternative approach, ‘‘deep in situ biomining”, would solubilise target metals from fractured ore bodies buried deep (>1 km) underground, using a microbially-generated acidic, ferric iron-rich lixiviant. Pregnant leach solutions (PLS) generated are pumped to the land surface where metals are extracted and recovered, ferric iron regenerated in a bioreactor and the oxidised lixiviant re-injected underground. To examine the feasibility of using an indirect bioleaching approach to extract metals from an ore body, a laboratory test was carried out using a polymetallic sulfidic black schist ore (from Talvivaara, Finland) in a non-aerated column reactor, maintained at 30 C at atmospheric pressure. Following an initial acid leaching phase (using 100 mM sulfuric acid) the ore was subjected to ferric iron-catalyzed oxidative dissolution using a lixiviant generated in a laboratory-scale ferric irongenerating bioreactor (FIGB). During the 16 week time course of the experiment, 93% of manganese, 88% of cobalt, 79% of nickel, 75% of iron, 75% of zinc and 55% of copper present in the ore was extracted. The planktonic microbial populations in the FIGB and those in the PLS were similar, and dominated by Leptospirillum ferriphilum, iron-oxidising Acidithiobacillus spp. and the archaeon Ferroplasma acidophilum.

KW - Bioreactors

KW - In situ bioleaching

KW - Polymetallic ores

U2 - 10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028

DO - 10.1016/j.mineng.2016.08.028

M3 - Article

SN - 0892-6875

VL - 106

SP - 102

EP - 107

JO - Minerals Engineering

JF - Minerals Engineering

ER -

Indirect oxidative bioleaching of a polymetallic black schist sulfide ore

Abstract

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Keywords

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