INTEGRATED, TANK/HEAP BIOOXIDATION PROCESS FOR THE LIXIVIATION OF SULFIDE ORES

摘要

A metal-containing refractory sulfide ore (12) is split into a first portion(16) and a second portion (18). The first portion (16) ispartially biodigested by a sulfide-digesting microorganism in a biooxidationreactor (20) where the microorganism is acclimated to thesulfide "diet" provided by the ore. The partially digested ore (22) is thencombined (24) with the second portion (18). The resulting material(26) is then dewatered (25, 28), biooxidized (32), and subjected to alixiviation process (42).