Browsing by Subject "Pyrite"

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    Attachment of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferriphilum cultured under varying conditions to pyrite, chalcopyrite, low-grade ore and quartz in a packed column reactor
    (Springer Verlag, 2012) Africa, Cindy-Jade; van Hille, Robert P; Harrison, Susan T L
    The attachment of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferriphilum spp. grown on ferrous medium or adapted to a pyrite mineral concentrate to four mineral substrata, namely, chalcopyrite and pyrite concentrates, a low-grade chalcopyrite ore (0.5 wt%) and quartzite, was investigated. The quartzite represented a typical gangue mineral and served as a control. The attachment studies were carried out in a novel particle-coated column reactor. The saturated reactor containing glass beads, which were coated with fine mineral concentrates, provided a quantifiable surface area of mineral concentrate and maintained good fluid flow. A. ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum spp. had similar attachment characteristics. Enhanced attachment efficiency occurred with bacteria grown on sulphide minerals relative to those grown on ferrous sulphate in an ore-free environment. Selective attachment to sulphide minerals relative to gangue materials occurred, with mineral adapted cultures attaching to the minerals more efficiently than ferrous grown cultures. Mineral-adapted cultures showed highest levels of attachment to pyrite (74% and 79% attachment for A. ferrooxidans and L. ferriphilum, respectively). This was followed by attachment of mineral-adapted cultures to chalcopyrite (63% and 58% for A. ferrooxidans and L. ferriphilum, respectively). A. ferrooxidans and L. ferriphilum exhibited lower levels of attachment to low-grade ore and quartz relative to the sulphide minerals.
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    Competitive Bioleaching of Pyrite and Chalcopyrite
    (Elsevier, 2006) Petersen, Jochen; Dixon, David G
    An experimental study was conducted to investigate the heap bioleaching of a copper-gold concentrate using the Geocoat™ technique. Small-scale columns were operated at selected temperatures using bacterial consortia suited to these temperatures. In all experiments secondary copper sulfides would leach more rapidly than pyrite. Chalcopyrite, however, appeared to leach only in the presence of extremely thermophile microbes and selectivity towards chalcopyrite decreased with leach time. Analysis of the leach tailings showed that, surprisingly, the overall rate of bio-oxidation did not significantly increase with temperature. Further, analysis of ferric demand for mineral oxidation vs. ferric supply by microbial oxidation suggests that chalcopyrite leaching is promoted by extreme thermophiles due to a favourable interplay between reaction kinetics, solution potential and chalcopyrite ‘passivation’ phenomena, whereas pyrite leaching is favoured at lower temperatures. This analysis also explains why selectivity towards chalcopyrite decreases with time. The results are of some significance for the development of a high temperature whole ore chalcopyrite heap bioleach process.
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    Reactive oxygen species generated in the presence of fine pyrite particles and its implication in thermophilic mineral bioleaching
    (Springer Verlag, 2012) Jones, G C; van Hille, R P; Harrison, S T L
    In the tank bioleaching process, maximising solid loading and mineral availability, the latter through decreasing particle size, are key to maximising metal extraction. In this study, the effect of particle size distribution on bioleaching performance and microbial growth was studied through applying knowledge based on medical geology research to understand the adverse effects of suspended fine pyrite particles. Small-scale leaching studies, using pyrite concentrate fractions (106–75, 75–25, −25 μm fines), were used to confirm decreasing performance with decreasing particle size (D50 <40 μm). Under equivalent experimental conditions, the generation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals from pyrite was illustrated. ROS generation measured from the different pyrite fractions was found to increase with increasing pyrite surface area loading (1.79–74.01 m2 L−1) and Fe2+ concentration (0.1–2.8 g L−1) in solution. The highest concentration of ROS was measured from the finest fraction of pyrite (0.85 mM) and from the largest concentration of Fe2+ (0.78 mM). No ROS was detected from solutions containing only Fe3+ under the same conditions tested. The potential of ROS to inhibit microbial performance under bioleaching conditions was demonstrated. Pyrite-free Sulfolobus metallicus cultures challenged with hydrogen peroxide (0.5–2.5 mM) showed significant decrease in both cell growth and Fe2+ oxidation rates within the concentration range 1.5–2.5 mM. In combination, the results from this study suggest that conditions of large pyrite surface area loading, coupled with high concentrations of dissolved Fe2+, can lead to the generation of ROS, resulting in oxidative stress of the microorganisms.
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    Reactive oxygen species generated in the presence of fine pyrite particles and its implication in thermophilic mineral bioleaching.
    (Springer Verlag, 2013) Jones, G C; van Hille, R P; Harrison, S T L
    In the tank bioleaching process, maximising solid loading and mineral availability, the latter through decreasing particle size, are key to maximising metal extraction. In this study, the effect of particle size distribution on bioleaching performance and microbial growth was studied through applying knowledge based on medical geology research to understand the adverse effects of suspended fine pyrite particles. Small-scale leaching studies, using pyrite concentrate fractions (106–75, 75–25, −25 μm fines), were used to confirm decreasing performance with decreasing particle size (D 50 <40 μm). Under equivalent experimental conditions, the generation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals from pyrite was illustrated. ROS generation measured from the different pyrite fractions was found to increase with increasing pyrite surface area loading (1.79–74.01 m2 L−1) and Fe2+ concentration (0.1–2.8 g L−1) in solution. The highest concentration of ROS was measured from the finest fraction of pyrite (0.85 mM) and from the largest concentration of Fe2+ (0.78 mM). No ROS was detected from solutions containing only Fe3+ under the same conditions tested. The potential of ROS to inhibit microbial performance under bioleaching conditions was demonstrated. Pyrite-free Sulfolobus metallicus cultures challenged with hydrogen peroxide (0.5–2.5 mM) showed significant decrease in both cell growth and Fe2+ oxidation rates within the concentration range 1.5–2.5 mM. In combination, the results from this study suggest that conditions of large pyrite surface area loading, coupled with high concentrations of dissolved Fe2+, can lead to the generation of ROS, resulting in oxidative stress of the microorganisms.
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    The use of pyrite as a source of lixiviant in the bioleaching of electronic waste
    (Elsevier, 2015) Bryan, C G; Watkin, E L; McCredden, T J; Wong, Z R; Harrison, S T L; Kaksonen, A H
    Electronic waste (e-waste) contains a wide range of elements, many of which are highly toxic to environmental and human health. On the other hand e-waste represents a significant potential source of valuable metals. This study used microbial oxidation of pyrite to generate a biolixiviant. Its efficiency in the dissolution of metals from printed circuit boards (PCBs) was evaluated as well as the effects of metals and PCB concentrations on microbial activity. The addition of elemental metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, Sn, Zn) had an immediate inhibitory effect on pyrite oxidation, though leaching recovered after a period of adaptation. Bioleaching was inhibited initially by the addition of 1 % (w/v) ground PCB, but recovered rapidly, whereas pulp densities of ≥5 % had sustained negative impacts on culture activity and viability. The loss of culture viability meant that only abiotic copper dissolution occurred at ≥5 % PCB. Final copper recoveries declined with increasing PCB pulp density. The relatively high content of elemental iron caused a lag period in copper solubilisation possibly due to displacement reactions. Leptospirillum ferriphilum was primarily responsible for pyrite oxidation, and most affected by both the pure metals (particularly Ni and Cu) and PCB.