Characterization and Localized Insight into Leaching of Sulfide Minerals

摘要

To improve the efficiency of sustainable recovery of valuable resources (such as copper, gold, uranium), advanced technologies of electrochemistry, surface chemistry and materials characterization, including synchrotron X ray-absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been employed to investigate the interactions between microbes and sulfide minerals in situ to gain a detailed understanding of the chemical reaction mechanisms operating in bioleaching. It has been demonstrated that alternating current scanning electrochemical microscopy (ac-SECM) allows for straightforward characterization of sulfide mineral samples in aqueous solution. With this technology localized electrochemical properties of the mineral surface, including surface current mapping, can be achieved. Robust chemical sensors have been developed for real time, in-situ monitoring key leaching process parameters.