• metals in the ores are solubilized by microbes in biochemi¬cal ways

• Solubilized (leached) metals in liquids are separated by sedimentation.

• Least expensive and well suited for even low grade ores.
• Leaching is the solubilization of metals from ores
• As micro-organisms are employed to solubilize metals - popularly called bioleaching or biological mineral leaching.
• bioleaching was practised in the 18th century in Rio Tinto Mines to ex¬tract copper from ores
• Now it is employed to recover metals from low-grade ores, worked out mines, mine dumps and solid waste refuses
• It can be used both inside the mine and outside the mine.
• The microbes that leach metals from ores are called bioleachers.
• optimum pH, nutrients, high ionic strength, organic compounds carbon and oxygen –form of metal salts.

The leaching may be either direct or indirect.

Direct leaching
In the direct method, microbes secrete cer¬tain enzymes
These enzymes oxidize the metal ions and release metal sulphides from the ore.
The metal ions can be carried by water while wetting the ore.
Thiobacillus ferrooxidans oxidizes chalcocite (Cu2S) directly into Cu2+and S° and water
Cu2S+ 02+2H >2Ce + + H20

Indirect leaching
In the indirect method, microbes oxidize fer¬rous ion and sulphide into ferric sulphate to gen¬erate their metabolic energy.
Ferric sulphate is a strong oxidizing agent that dissolves many metal sulphides.
Eg. Chalcopyrite (Cu FeS).
The metal sulphide is oxidized into metals and elemen¬tal sulphur (S°). The metal ions are carried by water while wetting the
ore.

Micro-organisms Involving in Bioleaching

 Metal leaching microbes use ferrous ion and reduced sulphur compounds as electron donors and fix carbon dioxide
 Some of them may pro¬duce sulphuric acid (acidophiles).
 The follow¬ing microbes are employed in bioleaching of met¬als from various sulphide ores:
• Thiobacillus fermaxidans (For Cu, Ur, Co, Ni. Zn, Pb)
• Thiobacillus acidophilus (For Fe & Cu)
• Thiobacillus olganoparpus (For Fe & Cu)
• Thiobaillus thioaridans (For Zn Pb)
• Leptaspinihmiferrooxidans (For Fe & Cu)
• Sulfolobus acidocalcaritis (For Fe, Cu & Mo)

There are three methods of bioleaching, namely in situ leaching, heaps or dumps and bioreactors.
1. Heaps or Dumps Method
 Heaps or dumps method is used for bioleaching of copper
 Copper ore is excavated from a mine and piled to about 100 feet height on a rela¬tively impermeable land or rock.
 An inoculum of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is diluted with enough water and sprinkled on the ore pile.
 Water is then sprinkled uniformly on the pile. The water percolates through the ore pile and reaches the floor. The
percolation of water through a pile of ore for metal leaching is called dump leaching.
 The percolated water is pumped over the ore pile once again for continuous percola¬tion. This is repeated for several
times.
 In course of time, T. ferrooxidans oxidizes ferrous ion and sulphide in the ore into ferric sulphate.
 The latter releases copper from the ore. The released copper gets dissolved in the circulating water and circulates along
with it. Therefore, copper level increases gradually in the circulating water.
• 2CuS + 502 > 2CuSO4 + 2CuO.
 The water is then pumped into an artifi¬cial basin called launder.
 Ferrous ion (Fe) is added to the launder - reacts with CuS04 and farms Ferrous sul¬phate and releases copper. Copper
precipitates

at the bottom of the launder. This process is called precipitation.

CuS0 4+ Fe > FeSO4 + Cu
The precipitated copper is separated, dried, melted and refined to get pure copper.
The water in the launder is rich in FeSO4, a strong oxidizing agent. It is slightly acidic. It is pumped over the ore pile once again
to accel¬erate the speed of metal leaching.
The similar method is also used in mining uranium from oxide ores of uranium. Here leaching is carried out inside the mines
with a view to reducing radiation hazards. Dilute sul¬phuric acid is sprinkled over the orepile for quick solubilization of umnium.
Using this method. 0¬90% of uranium is extracted from the ore.
Fin. 59.N. Bioheap Of Pacific Ores Or the extraction of copper

2. In situ Bloleaching
ihOkaiCh int! f P, Mint-rah trypm lore.1 bjund of e!mrosint1111 called in situ
wiHraching, performed within the mines othing e‘i..a‘ Ming the OWN. him. lead. zinc. etc. 4irc "cached from the ores in this \
NAN'.
The leachinr solution containing
,,,,n-terci,hins is pumped into the mine where
tiv,init,c1cd into the ore. The leachate is recov-
ord trots the lower layer of the ore and pumped
is the surface of the ore. The bacterial suspen-
„ion Ts aerated be lore pumping hack to the ore.
This is repeated until the metal ions get concen-
trated. After leaching. the leachate is collected
m a large shallow pond wherein the metal ions are precipitated by chemical treatment.
3. Bioreactors
Bioreactors are large aerated stirred tank designs where finely ground Ore is treated bio¬logically to leach metals from the ore
the ground ore is diluted with water and filled in the bioreactor. Nutiients such as ammonia and phos phates are continuously
pumped into the reactor and the spent liquid is collected and pumped back to the bioreactor. Sterile air is pumped into the
slurry of ore and stirred well for proper mixing. The temperature is maintained at 40-50T for maximum microbial growth and
leaching activity.

/1114 hit lka: lung taiteN a ftro, dapo lilt ctorn-

leatilmv Whim the (Art_ ;dating thittl 4:100- k_critlAted With 20” of mutera1 the fluid t* cot¬lected and metal collet:tied
prcormation procesi
Micro-organisms such m4 ,Ictinwnyrei.
liligenes.Arthobailer -
ells, Nosseria. Parewnceuv. rhadiacillus an4i Pseud/ )rtionas are used in the hiolcaching t )114old from ores in the hiorcactor
method. .flu. method does not produce cyanide wastes which are the byproducts of chemical extraction of gold
and Mudder, 2003 ), These waste cyanides can also be treated with these microbes. This bio¬technology based method
reduces the produc¬tion cost of gold in mines.
Advantages of Biomining
Bioleaching of metals from ores requires only a little energy,
It is economic.
It is well suited for lower grade ores and tailings.
It can he carried out inside the mine and outside the mine.
It does not pollute the environment.
Although hiomining has these advantages, it is a very slow process which takes an year for completion. Again, it is difficult to
extract enough metals in time to meet the demand. These arc the drawbacks of biomining.