Abstract
The purpose of this study was to enhance the content of valuable metals, such as Au, Ag, and Te, in tellurium-bearing minerals via bioleaching. The ore samples composed of invisible Au and Au paragenesis minerals (such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena) in combination with tellurium-bearing minerals (hessite, sylvanite and Tellurobismuthite) were studied. Indigenous microbes from mine drainage were isolated and identified as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, which were used in bioleaching after adaption to copper. The effect of the microbial adaption on the bioleaching performance was then compared with the results produced by the non-adaptive process. The microbial adaption enhanced the Au–Ag–Te contents in biological leaching of tellurium-bearing ore minerals. This suggests that bioleaching with adapted microbes can be used both as a pretreatment and in the main recovery processes of valuable metals.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. Climo, H.R. Watling, and W. Van Bronswijk, Biooxidation as pre-treatment for a telluride-rich refractory gold concentrate, Miner. Eng., 13(2000), No. 12, p. 1219.
P. Fulignati and A. Sbrana, Presence of native gold and tellurium in the active high-sulfidation hydrothermal system of the La Fossa volcano (Vulcano, Italy), J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 86(1998), No. 1-4, p. 187.
P.G. Spry and S.E. Thieben, Two new occurrences of benleonardite, a rare silver-tellurium sulphosalt, and a possible new occurrence of cervelleite, Mineral. Mag., 60(1996), No. 1, p. 871.
P. Voudouris, M. Tarkian, and K. Arikas, Mineralogy of telluride-bearing epithermal ores in the Kassiteres-Sappes area, western Thrace, Greece, Mineral. Petrol., 87(2006), No. 1-2, p. 31.
D.W. Pals and P.G. Spry, Telluride mineralogy of the low-sulfidation epithermal Emperor gold deposit, Vatukoula, Fiji, Mineral. Petrol., 79(2003), No. 3, p. 285.
K. Bosecker, Bioleaching: metal solubilization by microorganisms, FEMS Microbiol. Rev., 20(1997), No. 3-4, p. 591.
C.H. Hus and R.G. Harrison, Bacterial leaching of zinc and copper from mining waste, Hydrometallurgy, 37(1995), No. 2, p. 169.
N.F. Lei and H.G. Xie, Bioleaching of low grade tellurium sulfide mineral, Energy Procedia, 16(2012), p. 946.
K. Bosecker, A.E. Torma, and J.A. Brierley, Microbiological leaching of a chalcopyrite concentrate and the influence of hydrostatic pressure on the activity of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Eur. J. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 7(1979), No. 1, p. 85.
José A. Rojas-Chapana and H. Tributsch, Interfacial activity and leaching patterns of Leptospirillum ferrooxidans on pyrite, FEMS Microbiol. Ecol., 47(2004), No. 1, p. 19.
L.X. Xia, X.X. Liu, J. Zeng, C. Yin, J. Gao, J.S. Liu, and G.Z. Qiu, Mechanism of enhanced bioleaching efficiency of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans after adaptation with chalcopyrite, Hydrometallurgy, 92(2008), No. 3-4, p. 95.
F. Vegliò, M. Trifoni, F. Pagnanelli, and L. Toro, Shrinking core model with variable activation energy: a kinetic model of manganiferous ore leaching with sulphuric acid and lactose, Hydrometallurgy, 60(2001), No. 2, p. 167.
H. Tan, D. Feng, G.C. Lukey, and J.S.J. van Deventer, The behaviour of carbonaceous matter in cyanide leaching of gold, Hydrometallurgy, 78(2005), No. 3-4, p. 226.
N.J. Cook and C.L. Ciobanu, Bismuth tellurides and sulphosalts from the Larga hydrothermal system, Metaliferi Mts, Romania: Paragenesis and genetic significance, Miner. Mag., 68(2004), No. 2, p. 301.
V.A. Kovalenker and O.Y. Plotinskaya, Te and Se mineralogy of Ozernovskoe and Prasolovskoe epithermal gold deposits, Kuril–Kamchatka volcanic belt, Geochim. Mineral. Petrol., 43(2005), No. 14-19, p. 118.
R.K. Amankwah, A.U. Khan, C.A. Pickles, and W.T. Yen, Improved grindability and gold liberation by microwave pretreatment of a free-milling gold ore, Trans. Inst. Min. Metall. Sect. C, 114(2005), No. 1, p. 30.
P. Bhakta and B. Arthur, Heap bio-oxidation and gold recovery at newmont mining: First-year results, JOM, 54(2002), No. 10, p. 31.
E.B. Lindström, E. Gunneriusson, and O.H. Tuovinen, Bacterial oxidation of refractory sulfide ores for gold recovery, Crit. Rev. Biotechnol., 12(1992), No. 1-2, p. 133.
A.B. Jensen and C. Webb, Ferrous sulfate oxidation using thiobacillus-ferrooxidans: a review, Process Biochem., 30(1995), No. 3, p. 225.
Y.A. Attia and M.A. Elzeky, Bioleaching of non-ferrous sulfides with adapted thiophillic bacteria, Chem. Eng. J., 44(1990), No. 2, p. B31.
S.M. Mousavi, S. Yaghmaei, M. Vossoughi, A. Jafari, R. Roostaazad, and I. Turunen, Bacterial leaching of low-grade ZnS concentrate using indigenous mesophilic and thermophilic strains, Hydrometallurgy, 85(2007), No. 1, p. 59.
A. Pinches, F.O. Al-Jaid, D.J.A. Williams, and B. Atkinson, Leaching of chalcopyrite concentrates with thiobacillus ferrooxidans in batch culture, Hydrometallurgy, 2(1976), No. 2, p. 87.
D.F. Haghshenas, E.K. Alamdari, M.A. Torkmahalleh, B. Bonakdarpour, and B. Nasernejad, Adaptation of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to high grade sphalerite concentrate, Miner. Eng., 22(2009), No. 15, p. 1299.
V. Sanmugasunderam, R. Branion, and D. Duncan, A growth model for the continuous microbiological leaching of a zinc sulfide concentrate by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Biotechnol. Bioeng., 27(1985), No. 8, p. 1173.
S.Y. Shi and Z.H. Fang, Bioleaching of marmatite flotation concentrate by adapted mixed mesoacidophilic cultures in an air-lift reactor, Int. J. Miner. Process., 76(2005), No. 1-2, p. 3.
D.E. Rawlings, Heavy metal mining using microbes, Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 56(2002), No. 1, p. 65.
L. Keller and L.E. Murr, Acid-bacterial and ferric sulfate leaching of pyrite single-crystals, Biotechnol. Bioeng., 24(1982), No. 1, p. 83.
Z. Zhu, W. Zhang, Y. Pranolo, and C.Y. Cheng, Separation and recovery of copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc in chloride solutions by synergistic solvent extraction, Hydrometallurgy, 127-128(2012), p. 1.
Acknowledgement
This project was supported by Chosun University (2012).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Choi, NC., Cho, K.H., Kim, B.J. et al. Enhancement of Au–Ag–Te contents in tellurium-bearing ore minerals via bioleaching. Int J Miner Metall Mater 25, 262–270 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-018-1569-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-018-1569-8