Extraction of nickel by microbial reduction of lateritic chromite overburden of Sukinda, India

Improved chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. via direct step-wise regulation of microbial community structure

A direct step-wise regulation strategy of microbial community structure was developed for improving chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. Specially, the initial microbial proportion between Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was controlled at 3:1 with additional 2 g/L Fe(2+) for faster initiating iron metabolism. A. thiooxidans biomass was fed via a step-wise strategy (8-12th d) with the microbial proportion 1:1 for balancing community structure and promoting sulfur metabolism in the stationary phase. A. thiooxidans proportion was further improved via another step-wise feeding strategy (14-18th d) with the microbial proportion 1:2 for enhancing sulfur metabolism and weakening jarosite passivation in the later phase. With the community structure-shift control strategy, biochemical reaction was directly regulated for creating a better balance in different phases. Moreover, the final copper ion was increased from 57.1 to 93.2 mg/L, with the productivity 2.33 mg/(Ld). The novel strategy may be valuable in optimization of similar bioleaching process.

Novel integration strategy for enhancing chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. in a 7-L fermenter

An integrated strategy (additional energy substrate-three stage pH control-fed batch) was firstly proposed for efficiently improving chalcopyrite bioleaching by Acidithiobacillus sp. in a 7-L fermenter. The strain adaptive-growing phase was greatly shortened from 8days into 4days with the supplement of additional 2g/L Fe(2+)+2g/L S(0). Jarosite passivation was effectively weakened basing on higher biomass via the three-stage pH-stat control (pH 1.3-1.0-0.7). The mineral substrate inhibition was attenuated by fed-batch fermentation. With the integrated strategy, the biochemical reaction was promoted and achieved a better balance. Meanwhile, the domination course of A. thiooxidans in the microbial community was shortened from 14days to 8days. As the results of integrated strategy, the final copper ion and productivity reached 89.1mg/L and 2.23mg/(Ld), respectively, which was improved by 52.8% compared to the uncontrolled batch bioleaching. The integrated strategy could be further exploited for industrial chalcopyrite bioleaching.

Effect of dissimilatory Fe(III) reducers on bio-reduction and nickel-cobalt recovery from Sukinda chromite-overburden

The effect of an adapted dissimilatory iron reducing bacterial consortium (DIRB) towards bio-reduction of Sukinda chromite overburden (COB) with enhanced recovery of nickel and cobalt is being reported for the first time. The remarkable ability of DIRB to utilize Fe(III) as terminal electron acceptor reducing it to Fe(II) proved beneficial for treatment of COB as compared to previous reports for nickel leaching. XRD studies showed goethite as the major iron-bearing phase in COB. Under facultative anaerobic conditions, goethite was reduced to hematite and magnetite with the exposure of nickel oxide. FESEM studies showed DIRB to be associated with COB through biofilm formation with secondary mineral precipitates of magnetite deposited as tiny globular clusters on the extra polymeric substances. The morphological and mineralogical changes in COB, post DIRB application, yielded a maximum of 68.5% nickel and 80.98% cobalt in 10 days using 8M H2SO4.

Bioleaching of nickel and cobalt from lateritic chromite overburden using the culture filtrate of Aspergillus niger

Extraction of metals (Ni, Co) from chromite overburden of Sukinda mines of Orissa, India, with the culture filtrate of Aspergillus niger was studied. Results showed that the amounts of metals leached varied directly with reaction temperature and period of fermentation. The culture filtrate was analyzed for citric and oxalic acids, and contained only oxalic acid-the concentration of which increased with time. Although this acid played the major role in leaching of metals, other unidentified metabolites present in the culture filtrate influenced the dissolution of the metals significantly. Maximum recovery of metals from raw and roasted ore samples was achieved at 80 °C with the 21-day culture filtrate containing the highest amount of oxalic acid. Under identical experimental conditions, much higher amounts of the metals were leached from roasted ore. Microstructures of the ore particles were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy; the bonding behaviors of metal compounds were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy which showed that the metals were leached after chelation with oxalic acid.