Abstract
Thermophilic bacteria are actively prevalent in hot water springs. Their potential to grow and sustain at higher temperatures makes them exceptional compare to other microorganism. The present study was initiated to isolate, identify and determine the feasibility of extraction of copper using thermophilic heterotrophic bacterial strain. Bacillus stearothermophilus is a thermophilic heterotrophic bacterium isolated from hot water spring, Atri, Orissa, India. This bacterium was adapted to low-grade chalcopyrite ore and its efficiency to solubilize copper from Malanjkhand low-grade ore was determined. The low-grade copper ore contains 0.27% Cu, in which the major copper-bearing mineral is chalcopyrite associated with other minerals present as minor phase. Variation in parameters such as pulp-density and temperatures were studied. After 30 days of incubation, it was found that Bacillus stearothermophilus solubilize copper up to 81.25% at pH 6.8 at 60°C.
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Acknowledgments
The author is thankful to Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Bhubaneswar for funding and their cooperation to carry out the work. One of the author wishes to express her gratitude to CSIR for awarding SRF fellowship.
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Singh, S., Sukla, L.B. & Mishra, B.K. Extraction of Copper from Malanjkhand Low-Grade Ore by Bacillus stearothermophilus . Indian J Microbiol 51, 477–481 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-011-0073-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-011-0073-x