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Extraction of copper from its ore by using bacterial leaching
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Mon Aug 11 2003
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Extraction of copper from its ore by using bacterial leaching In 1752 engineers discovered ,during they wanted to open an old roman mine in Spain, a blue-green liquid running from the mountains of excavated rock across old iron implements. This liquid left a brown film which was later identified as pure copper. After a long time believing that this is a result of inorganic chemical reactions, in 1947 US microbiologists found out that in fact micro-organisms are responsible for the transformation. The insoluble minerals of copper, zinc and lead, containing S -ions, which are oxidised by bacteria ( e.g. Thiobacillus ferro-oxidans and Thiobacillus thio-oxidans) to gain energy for staying alive. Fe -ions are also suited for this oxidation process by bacteria, which releases these valuable metal ions into solution. Research laboratories around the world want to develop the technique using bacteria leaching for extracting copper, a link between biotechnology and metallurgy, biohydrometallurgy. The process is using the low-grade ore and tailings from any earlier conventional mining,...
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