Abstract
During the Bioshale European project, a techno-economic study of the bioleaching of a copper concentrate originating from a black shale ore was carried out. This concentrate is a multi-mineral resource in which the copper sulphides are mainly chalcocite, covellite, bornite and chalcopyrite. The experiments undertaken to produce the techno-economic data were also an opportunity to carry out more fundamental research. The objective of this work was to combine the results of the bioleaching experiments, in terms of copper recovery, with the results of bacterial community monitoring and mineralogy residue analysis. Batch and continuous bioleaching tests were carried out with 10% solids, at 42 °C and with a pH between 1.2 and 1.6. Final copper recovery was higher in batch cultures than in continuous mode (>95% vs. 91%). Mineralogical analysis showed that the limiting factor for copper recovery was incomplete chalcopyrite dissolution in both cases. However, chalcopyrite was even less dissolved in continuous conditions. This was also related to a variation in bacterial community structure. The population in all tests was composed of Acidithiobacillus caldus, Leptospirillum ferriphilum and one or two species of Sulfobacillus (Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans and sometimes Sulfobacillus benefaciens), but Sulfobacillus and more generally sulphur oxidizers were more represented in batch mode. It was proposed that due to their capacity to reduce inorganic compounds, sulphur oxidizers may be efficient in limiting chalcopyrite surface hindering. It may help to better dissolve this mineral and reach a better copper recovery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arrascue MEL, van Niekerk J (2006) Biooxidation of arsenopyrite concentrate using BIOX® process: industrial experience in Tamboraque, Peru. Hydrometallurgy 83:90–96
Battaglia F, Morin D, Ollivier P (1994) Dissolution of cobaltiferrous pyrite by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans—factors influencing bacterial leaching efficiency. J Biotechnol 32:11–16
Battaglia-Brunet F, d’Hugues P, Cabral T, Cezac P, Garcia JL, Morin D (1998) The mutual effect of mixed thiobacilli and leptospirilli populations on pyrite bioleaching. Miner Eng 11:195–205
Brierley C (2001) Bacterial succession in bioheap leaching. Hydrometallurgy 59:249–255
Brierley JA, Brierley CL (2001) Present and future commercial applications of biohydrometallurgy. Hydrometallurgy 59:233–239
Cancho L, Blázquez ML, Ballester A, González F, Muñoz JA (2007) Bioleaching of a chalcopyrite concentrate with moderate thermophilic microorganisms in a continuous reactor system. Hydrometallurgy 87:100–111
Córdoba EM, Muñoz JA, Blázquez ML, González F, Ballester A (2008) Leaching of chalcopyrite with ferric ion. Part I: general aspects. Hydrometallurgy 93:81–87
Demergasso CS, Galleguillos PA, Escudero LV, Zepeda VJ, Castillo D, Casamayor EO (2005) Molecular characterization of microbial populations in a low-grade copper ore bioleaching test heap. Hydrometallurgy 80:241–253
d’Hugues P, Cezac P, Cabral T, Battaglia F, Truong-Meyer XM, Morin D (1997) Bioleaching of a cobaltiferous pyrite: a continuous laboratory-scale study at high solids concentration. Miner Eng 10:507–527
d’Hugues P, Norris PR, Hallberg KB, Sánchez F, Langwaldt J, Grotowski A, Chmielewski T, Groudev S, Bioshale consortium (2008a) Bioshale FP6 European project: exploiting black shale ores using biotechnologies? Miner Eng 21:111–120
d’Hugues P, Joulian C, Spolaore P, Michel C, Garrido F, Morin D (2008b) Continuous bioleaching of a cobaltiferous pyrite in stirred reactors: population dynamics and EPS production vs. bioleaching performances. Hydrometallurgy 94:34–41
Dixon DG (2000) Analysis of heat conservation during copper sulphide heap leaching. Hydrometallurgy 58:27–41
Dopson M, Lindström EB (1999) Potential role of Thiobacillus caldus in arsenopyrite bioleaching. Appl Environ Microbiol 65:36–40
Foucher S, Battaglia-Brunet F, d’Hugues P, Clarens M, Godon JJ, Morin D (2003) Evolution of the bacterial population during the batch bioleaching of a cobaltiferous pyrite in a suspended-solids bubble column and comparison with a mechanically agitated reactor. Hydrometallurgy 71:5–12
Gericke M, Pinches A (1999) Bioleaching of copper sulphide concentrate using extreme thermophilic bacteria. Miner Eng 12:893–904
Gouin J (2008) Mode de genèse et valorisation des minerais de type black shales: cas du Kupferschiefer (Pologne) et des schistes noirs de Talvivaara (Finlande). PhD thesis, University of Orleans
Halinen AK, Rahunen N, Kaksonen AH, Puhakka A (2009) Heap bioleaching of a complex sulfide ore. Part I: effect of pH on metal extraction and microbial composition in pH controlled columns. Hydrometallurgy 98:92–100
Helle S, Kelm U (2005) Experimental leaching of atacamite, chrysolla and malachite: relationship between copper retention and cation exchange capacity. Hydrometallurgy 78:180–186
Johnson DB, Hallberg KB (2007) Techniques for detecting and identifying acidophilic mineral oxidizing microorganisms. In: Rawlings DE, Johnson DB (eds) Biomining. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 237–261
Johnson DB, Joulian C, d’Hugues P, Hallberg KB (2008) Sulfobacillus benefaciens sp. Nov., an acidophilic facultative anaerobic Firmicute isolated from mineral bioleaching operations. Extremophiles 12:789–798
Klauber C (2008) A critical review of the surface chemistry of acidic ferric sulphate dissolution of chalcopyrite with regards to hindered dissolution. Int J Miner Process 86:1–17
Leahy MJ, Davidson MR, Schwarz MP (2007) A model for heap bioleaching of chalcocite with heat balance: mesophiles and moderate thermophiles. Hydrometallurgy 85:24–41
López-Juárez A, Rivera-Santillán RE (2005) Bioleaching of a cananea copper concentrate in laboratory-scale continuous stirred reactors. In: Harrison STL et al. (ed) Proceedings of the 16th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa pp 283–289
Márquez M, Gaspar J, Bessler KE, Magela G (2006) Process mineralogy of bacterial oxidized gold ore in São Bento Mine (Brasil). Hydrometallurgy 83:114–123
Morin D, d’Hugues P (2007) Bioleaching of a cobalt-containing pyrite in stirred reactors: a case study from laboratory scale to industrial application. In: Rawlings DE, Johnson DB (eds) Biomining. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 35–56
Okibe N, Jonhson DB (2004) Bioleaching of pyrite by defined mixed populations of moderately thermophilic acidophiles in pH-controlled bioreactors: significance of microbial interactions. Biotechnol Bioeng 87:574–583
Okibe N, Gericke M, Hallberg KB, Johnson DB (2003) Enumeration and characterization of acidophilic microorganisms isolated from a pilot plant stirred-tank bioleaching operation. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:1936–1943
Olson GJ, Brierley JA, Brierley CL (2003) Bioleaching review part B: progress in bioleaching: applications of microbial processes by the minerals industries. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 63:249–257
Pani CK, Swain S, Kar RN, Chaudhury GR, Sukla LB, Misra VN (2003) Bio-dissolution of zinc sulfide concentrate in 160 l 4-stage continuous bioreactor. Miner Eng 16:1019–1021
Rawlings DE (2005) Characteristics and adaptability of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms used for the recovery of metals from minerals and their concentrates. Microb Cell Factories 4:13
Rodriguez Y, Ballester A, Blazquez ML, Gonzalez F, Munoz JA (2003) New information on the pyrite bioleaching mechanism at low and high temperature. Hydrometallurgy 71:37–46
Sadowski Z, Jazdzyk E, Karas H (2003) Bioleaching of copper ore flotation concentrates. Miner Eng 16:51–53
Shippers A (2007) Microorganisms involved in bioleaching and nucleic acid-based molecular methods for their identification and quantification. In: Donati ER, Sand W (eds) Microbial processing of metal sulfides. Springer, Dordrecht, pp 3–34
Spolaore P, Joulian C, Gouin J, Morin D, d’Hugues P (2009) Bioleaching of an organic-rich polymetallic concentrate using stirred-tank technology. Hydrometallurgy 99:137–143
Szubert A, Sadowski Z, Maliszewska I, Gros CP, Barbe JM, Guilard R, Polowczyk I, Jazdzyk (2005) Biotreatment of polish black shale ores. In: Harrison STL, Rawlings DE, Petersen J (ed) Proceedings of the 16th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa, pp 227–236
Tshilombo AF, Petersen J, Dixon DG (2002) The influence of applied potentials and temperature on the electrochemical response of chalcopyrite during bacterial leaching. Miner Eng 15:809–813
Van Aswegen PC, Van Niekerk J, Olivier W (2007) The BIOX process for the treatment of refractory gold concentrates. In: Rawlings DE, Johnson DB (eds) Biomining. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 1–34
Wakeman K, Auvinen H, Johnson DB (2008) Microbiological and geochemical dynamics in simulated-heap leaching of a polymetallic sulfide ore. Biotechnol Bioeng 101:739–750
Watling HR (2006) The bioleaching of sulphide minerals with emphasis on copper sulphides—a review. Hydrometallurgy 84:81–108
Whittington BI, McDonald RG, Johnson JA, Muir DM (2003a) Pressure acid leaching of arid-region nickel laterite ore. Part I: effect of water quality. Hydrometallurgy 70:31–46
Whittington BI, Johnson JA, Quan LP, McDonald RG, Muir DM (2003b) Pressure acid leaching of arid-region nickel laterite ore. Part II: effect of ore type. Hydrometallurgy 70:47–62
Zhang R, Wei M, Ji H, Chen X, Qiu G, Zhou H (2009) Application of real-time PCR to monitor population dynamics of defined mixed cultures of moderate thermophiles involved in bioleaching of chalcopyrite. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 81:1161–1168
Acknowledgements
This work was carried out in the frame of Bioshale (European project contract NMP2-CT-2004-505710). The authors acknowledge the financial support given to this project by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Development. This paper is published with the permission of BRGM as scientific contribution no. 06792.
The authors would also like to thank KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. and KGHM Cuprum who provided the samples of the organic-rich polymetallic concentrate and Laurence Poirier (BRGM) and Antoine De Las Heras (BRGM) for their technical support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Spolaore, P., Joulian, C., Gouin, J. et al. Relationship between bioleaching performance, bacterial community structure and mineralogy in the bioleaching of a copper concentrate in stirred-tank reactors. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 89, 441–448 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2888-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2888-5