Bacterial leaching of a copper ore rich in gold and silver: study of the chemical stage

摘要

In this paper the treatment of a copper sulphide ore rich in gold and silver is studied. The selected treatment for dissolving copper has been bacterial leaching. Since, in this case, bioleaching proceeds through an indirect contact mechanism, it is possible to separate the chemical and biological stages, in order to improve the kinetics of the whole process. Following copper removal by leaching, elemental sulphur was extracted, and the treated sample was then leached with cyanide. This method allows copper, gold and silver dissolution at moderate operational conditions.