Econ. Environ. Geol. 2010; 43(2): 109-121

Published online April 30, 2010

© THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY

The Characteristic of Selective Attachment and Bioleaching for Pyrite Using Indigenous Acidophilic Bacteria at 42oC

Cheon-Young Park1*, Soon-Oh Kim2 and Bong-Ju Kim1

1Department of Energy and Resource Engineering, Chosun University
2Department of Earth and Enviromental Sciences and Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National
University

Correspondence to :

Cheon-Young Park

cybpark@chosun.ac.kr

Received: February 1, 2010; Accepted: April 1, 2010

Abstract

The bioleaching experiment under 42oC was effectively carried out to leach the more valuable element ions from the pyrite in the Gangyang mine waste. Bacteria can survive at this temperature, as indigenous acidophilic bacteria were collected in the Hatchobaru acidic hot spring, in Japan. To enhance the bacterial activity, yeast extract was added to the pyrite-leaching medium. The indigenous acidophilic bacteria appeared to be rod-shaped in the growthmedium which contained elemental sulfur and yeast extract. The rod-shaped bacteria (0.7×2.6 μm, 0.6×7 μm, 0.8×5 μm and 0.7×8.4 μm) were attached to the pyrite surface. The colonies of the rod-shaped bacteria were selectively attached to the surroundings of a hexagonal cavity and the inner wall of the hexagonal cavity, which developed on a pyrite surface. Filament-shaped bacteria ranging from 4.92 μm to 10.0 μm in length were subsequently attached to the surrounding cracks and inner wall of the cracks on the pyrite surface. In the XRD analysis, the intensity of (111), (311), (222) and (320) plane on the bacteria pyrite sample relatively decreased in plane on the control pyrite sample, whereas the intensity of (200), (210) and (211) increased in these samples. The microbiological leaching content of Fe ions was found to be 3.4 times higher than that of the chemical leaching content. As for the Zn, microbiological leaching content, it was 2 times higher than the chemical leaching content. The results of XRD analysis for the bioleaching of pyrite indicated that the indigenous acidophilic bacteria are selectively attacked on the pyrite specific plane. It is expected that the more valuable element ions can be leached out from the mine waste, if the temperature is increased in future bioleaching experiments.

Keywords indegenous acidophilic bacteria, pyrite, bioleaching, selective attachment

Article

Econ. Environ. Geol. 2010; 43(2): 109-121

Published online April 30, 2010

Copyright © THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY.

The Characteristic of Selective Attachment and Bioleaching for Pyrite Using Indigenous Acidophilic Bacteria at 42oC

Cheon-Young Park1*, Soon-Oh Kim2 and Bong-Ju Kim1

1Department of Energy and Resource Engineering, Chosun University
2Department of Earth and Enviromental Sciences and Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National
University

Correspondence to:

Cheon-Young Park

cybpark@chosun.ac.kr

Received: February 1, 2010; Accepted: April 1, 2010

Abstract

The bioleaching experiment under 42oC was effectively carried out to leach the more valuable element ions from the pyrite in the Gangyang mine waste. Bacteria can survive at this temperature, as indigenous acidophilic bacteria were collected in the Hatchobaru acidic hot spring, in Japan. To enhance the bacterial activity, yeast extract was added to the pyrite-leaching medium. The indigenous acidophilic bacteria appeared to be rod-shaped in the growthmedium which contained elemental sulfur and yeast extract. The rod-shaped bacteria (0.7×2.6 μm, 0.6×7 μm, 0.8×5 μm and 0.7×8.4 μm) were attached to the pyrite surface. The colonies of the rod-shaped bacteria were selectively attached to the surroundings of a hexagonal cavity and the inner wall of the hexagonal cavity, which developed on a pyrite surface. Filament-shaped bacteria ranging from 4.92 μm to 10.0 μm in length were subsequently attached to the surrounding cracks and inner wall of the cracks on the pyrite surface. In the XRD analysis, the intensity of (111), (311), (222) and (320) plane on the bacteria pyrite sample relatively decreased in plane on the control pyrite sample, whereas the intensity of (200), (210) and (211) increased in these samples. The microbiological leaching content of Fe ions was found to be 3.4 times higher than that of the chemical leaching content. As for the Zn, microbiological leaching content, it was 2 times higher than the chemical leaching content. The results of XRD analysis for the bioleaching of pyrite indicated that the indigenous acidophilic bacteria are selectively attacked on the pyrite specific plane. It is expected that the more valuable element ions can be leached out from the mine waste, if the temperature is increased in future bioleaching experiments.

Keywords indegenous acidophilic bacteria, pyrite, bioleaching, selective attachment

    KSEEG
    Dec 31, 2024 Vol.57 No.6, pp. 665~835

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