Copper bioleaching from sulphided minerals with high levels of pyrite and arsenopyrite

Abstract

The study was carried out with isolated strains of acid drainage and consisted of processing of highly mineralized copper sulphides that mainly contained 45.30% pyrite and 13.12% arsenopyrite. Bioleaching was carried out in 500 ml flasks, where 300 ml of 9k medium, 30 ml of bacterial inoculum (10% V / V) of 7.05x107 Cell / ml and various amounts of FeSO4.7H2O were added. The pH was regulated to 1.8 and they were subjected to platform agitation with 150 RPM at ambient temperature of 20 ° C on average. The tests were carried out in three successive stages at different concentrations of ferrous salt. In the first stage, 72.64% copper was obtained with 6 g / l of FeSO4.7H2O in 22 days. In the second stage, 85.6% of copper was achieved in the absence of the ferrous salt. Greater bacterial growth was also achieved with 15 g / l FeSO4.7H2O and 25.62% copper recovery in 24 days of leaching; In addition, the existence of a direct relationship between the increase in bacterial density and the recovery of copper from the sulphided mineral is determined. In the third stage, 89.38% of copper is recovered in the absence of the ferrous salt and in just 20 days of bioleaching.