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Non-Ferrous Metals and PGM Recovery from Low-Grade Copper–Nickel Concentrate by Bioleaching and Further Cyanidation.
- Source :
- Minerals (2075-163X); Mar2022, Vol. 12 Issue 3, p340, 16p
- Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- The aim of the present work was to perform copper, nickel, and platinum group metals (PGMs) recovery from low-grade copper–nickel concentrate containing pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and chalcopyrite by bioleaching in stirred tank reactors in batch mode and subsequent cyanidation. The concentrate contained (%) Fe 32.7, Cu 0.7, Ni 2.3, S<subscript>total</subscript> 20.9, S<subscript>sulfide</subscript> 17, 0.1 g/t Pt, and 1.35 g/t Pd. The bioleaching was performed at 30 and 40 °C using two different microbial consortia. At 30 °C, bioleaching was performed using mixed culture including Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans strains isolated from the sample of acid mine drainage from copper–nickel deposit. At 40 °C, bioleaching was performed using microbial population formed during long-term bioleaching of copper-zinc concentrate at 40 °C. Bioleaching was performed for 40 days at pulp density of 10% (solid to liquid ratio 1:10). At 30 °C, 70% Ni and 14% Cu were leached, while 72% Ni and 34% Cu were recovered in the solution at 40 °C. PGM were extracted from the concentrate and bioleaching residue obtained at 40 °C by cyanidation. Cyanidation made it possible to extract 5.5% Pt and 17.3% Pd from the concentrate and 37.8% Pt and 87.8% Pd from the bioleaching residue. Thus, it was shown that the concentrate studied might be processed using bioleaching and subsequent cyanidation to extract both non-ferrous metals and PGM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2075163X
- Volume :
- 12
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Minerals (2075-163X)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 156074421
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/min12030340