EFFECTS OF VARIATIONS IN THE OPERATING CONDITIONS OF SOME PROCESS PARAMETERS ON THE BACTERIAL LEACHING OF A NIGERIAN IRON ORE SAMPLE

📄 Project Abstract

Chemolithotrophic bacteria (such as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) have been used commercially for many years to extract metals from low grade ores (Singleton, 1997). This process, now known as bioleaching is an aspect of biomining. Bioleaching is basically the dissolution of metals from their ores or mineral wastes by the agency of microorganisms leading to the yield of liquor or leachate containing metals. Such solutions can be processed through electrolysis or other metal extraction methods to get highly pure metal. Bioleaching is of greater interest today because many of the sources of richer ores have been exhausted. The attention of metallurgists is now largely focused on the efficacy of this unconventional, cost-effective and ecofriendly technology in recovering metals from low grade ores (Krebs et al., 1997). Many metal ores occur as metal sulphides or metal oxides and their solubilization is carried out by direct bacterial leaching (Silverman and Erlich, 1967). In direct leac...