Biodepression of pyrite using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in seawater

摘要

In Cu-Mo deposits it is usual to find considerable amounts of pyrite (FeS2). When processing this kind of ore by flotation, pyrite is rejected using lime to increase the pH to alkaline conditions (pH similar to 10-12). In the case of using seawater without pre-processing (raw seawater), the lime consumption increases dramatically and the recovery of molybdenite drops due to the precipitation of secondary ions (e.g. magnesium, sulfate, calcium and bicarbonate) on its surface. In order to avoid these negative effects, alternative ways of depressing pyrite should be considered.