Optimization of Pyrite Bio-Oxidation to Produce Ferric Reagent for Sphalerite Leaching
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 26, Issue 1
Abstract
Leaching of zinc from sulfide minerals is a subject of considerable interest over the last few years. Ferric solutions were commonly reported to leach base metals sulfide concentrates. The current study investigates the potential of biological ferric solutions for Zn and Pb extractions from a sphalerite concentrate at 65°C. Comparative leaching experiments with ferric sulfate and ferric chloride are also performed. Actually, biological ferric ions have resulted from pyrite bio-oxidation. The aim of this work is to introduce a potential application of this metabolite as a mineral oxidizing agent to recover zinc from the sphalerite concentrate. To produce a biogenic reagent with the highest ferric, the bio-oxidation process is optimized by investigating the effects of different factors including pH, pulp density, and inoculum percent. At the optimum conditions, a metabolite with 7.87 g/L of ferric ions and a pH = 0.98 is produced. The results indicate that pyrite bio-oxidation includes three phases: chemical dissolution, lag phase, and biological dissolution. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that a layer of crystals was present on the surface of pyrite. Based on energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Raman spectroscopy, this layer is related to the presence of potassium jarosite. The metabolite was then used for ZnS direct leaching and results were compared with sulfide and chloride leaching. The final zinc recoveries with biological ferric ions, ferric sulfate, and ferric chloride were 78.0%, 88.9%, and 85.4%, respectively.
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Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the technical support of the Applied Geological Research Center of Iran (GRCIR). The authors also recognize the scientific support by SiFa research group. In addition, we are grateful to Zohreh Broumand, head of NanoBio Earth Laboratory for facilities, scientific, and technical assistance.
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Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 26 • Issue 1 • January 2022
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Feb 26, 2021
Accepted: Aug 4, 2021
Published online: Sep 28, 2021
Published in print: Jan 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Feb 28, 2022
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