Effect of Temperature Ramping on Stirred Tank Bioleaching of a Copper Concentrate

摘要

Kupferschiefer-type ore represents an important source for base metals and several studies concerning the bioleaching of black shale ores and Cu concentrates have been carried out with focus on various microbial communities and processing parameters. However, the incomplete dissolution of chalcopyrite remains a key issue for copper ore bioleaching improvement and requires further investigations in order to ensure an optimal control of the process for upscaling. Our study clearly showed that bioleaching tests are characterized by two separate phases with a distinct optimal temperature. A distinct effect of the temperature on the copper recovery and the advantage of temperature ramp in order to enhance copper bioleaching and chalcopyrite dissolution were demonstrated.