CHALCOPYRITE: BIOLEACHING

VERSUS PRESSURE
HYDROMETALLURGY
Fathi Habashi
Laval University, Quebec City
Fathi.Habashi@arul.ulaval.ca
Bacterial leaching
Low grade copper ore
Liberate gold from pyrite matrix
Bacterial leaching
Low grade copper ores
BIOX process in Ghana
Gold from pyrite
BIOLEACHING OF CHALCOPYRITE
1998, BacTech at Mt. Lyell in Tasmania
2001, BacTech and Mintek in
conjunction with Peoles in Monterrey
in Mexico
2002, Alliance Copper, a joint venture
between BHP Billiton and Codelco in
Chile demonstration plant near
Chuquicamata
BacTech at Mt. Lyell in Tasmania,
1998
Solvent extraction pilot plant at Mintek in
Johannesburg, S. Africa, 1999
Peoles in Monterrey
Alliance Copper
Since a thermophilic bacteria was used in
the system it was possible to operate at a
temperature of about 90
o
C and this
accelerates the reaction.
At this temperature the solubility of oxygen
is low.
That is why the plant was composed of six
large reactors, mechanically agitated, and
lined with acid-resisting brick.
Since oxygen and not air was used, carbon dioxide
needed for the bacterial must be introduced
separately.
Bacterial nutrients such as phosphate and
ammonium ions must be supplied to the reaction
mixture.
Agitation cannot be high to avoid destruction of
the microorganisms.
That is why the reaction was slow - - 4 to 5 days to
complete a batch.
The leaching reaction for
chalcopyrite
CuFeS
2
+ 4O
2
CuSO
4
+ FeSO
4
Large amount of oxygen will be consumed.
Large amount of lime will be needed to
precipitate ferrous sulfate.
Excessive disposal and material handling
problem of ferrous hydroxide gypsum
mixture:
FeSO
4
+ Ca(OH)
2
+ 2H
2
O Fe(OH)
2
+ CaSO
4
.
2H
2
O
In the recovery step by electrolysis,
acid will be generated and must be
disposed of.
All attempts to apply this technology
for chalcopyrite concentrates have
failed.
GEOCOAT Process
Chalcopyrite concentrate is mixed with inert
rock pellets and subjected to heap leaching
PRESSURE LEACHING OF
CHALCOPYRITE
2CuFeS
2
+ 4H
+
+ 2O
2
2Cu
2+
+ Fe
2
O
3
+ 4S + 2H
2
O
The reaction is fast - - complete in 20 30 minutes
Oxygen consumption is 1 moles per mole chalcopyrite as
compared to 4 moles in the case of bioleaching, that is less
than one third that required for bacterial leaching
One reactor is enough
Cu
2+
is already separated from Fe
2+
since Fe
2
O
3
is
precipitated during the reaction
All the sulfur in the concentrate can be obtained in the
elemental form
When copper is recovered from solution by electrowinning, the
acid generated at the anode is equal to that required for
leaching hence no acid disposal problem
There is no material handling and disposal problem involving
lime addition
Any arsenic present in the concentrate will remain in the residue
as ferric arsenate
Copper concentrate

H
2
SO
4
Oxygen
AQ. OXIDATION
FILTRATION Residue
ELECTROLYSIS FLOTATION Elemental sulfur
CYANIDATION Residue to waste
Precious metals
Copper
Pressure leaching has been successful for
treating pyrite and arsenopyrite
concentrates to liberate the gold in the
matrix.
Mechanism of bacterial action
Direct action.
Indirect, i.e., bacteria oxidize Fe
2+
and
Fe
3+
generated reacts with the sulfide.
Direct action
Sulfide ion and oxygen present in solution
are in the parts per million range.
Ferrous ions are usually in abundance.
Start up Plant Location Owner Feed Medium
Capacity
t/d
Number
of auto-
claves
1985 McLaughlin
USA
Homestake
USA
ore acid 2,700 3
1986 San Bento
Brazil
Genmin
S. Africa
concentrate acid 240 2
1988 Mercur, Utah
USA
American Barrick,
Canada
ore alkaline 680 1
1989 Getchell
USA
First Miss Gold ore acid 2,730 3
1990 Goldstrike
Nevada, USA
American Barrick,
Canada
ore acid 1,360 1
1991 Goldstrike
Nevada, USA
American Barrick,
Canada
ore acid 5,450 3
1991 Porgera, Papua
New Guinea
Placer Dome
Canada
concentrate acid 1,350 3
1991 Campbell
Canada
Placer Dome
Canada
concentrate acid 70 1
1992
Con, Lihir
Nerco Minerals concentrate --- 90 1
1993 Goldstrike
USA
American Barrick,
Canada
ore acid 11,580 6
1994 Porgera, Papua
New Guinea
Placer Dome
Canada
concentrate acid 2,700 6
1997 Lihir, Papua
New Guinea
Rio Tinto --- --- --- 3
1997 Dunedin, S.
Island, N.Z.
Macraes Mining concentrate acid 20,000 1

Summary
Beside application in heap leaching
of low grade copper ores, it is
believed that bacterial leaching can
be applied only and effectively to
liberate gold from auriferous pyrite
concentrate but it cannot be
recommended for chalcopyrite
concentrates.
While the catalytic oxidation of
ferrous to ferric is taking place
because of the abundance of
ferrous ion, it is still believed
that sulfide ion is catalytically
oxidized to sulfate by oxygen at
the surface of the
microorganism.
Thanks
Fathi Habashi