A Study on Bacterial Leaching of Low-Grade Copper Mineral(IV)

저품위 동광석의 세균침출에 관한 연구 4

With the gradual expansion of copper demands, the utilization of enormous tonnages of waste copper mineral containig up to 0.5% copper becomes available. In order to investigate the possibilities on the application of bacterial leaching method to waste dumps or abandoned mines, the authors had carried out microbial leaching of copper minerals by F.ferrooxidans isolated from the Dalsung copper mine water. The results obtained were as follows : 1. The copper extraction rate from the Dalsung chalcopyrite has been a little accerelated by using flasks in place of percolators. 2. The percentage of copper extracted from the Dalsung chalcopyrite sample was 100% in 30 days in the presence of iron-oxidizing bacteria F.ferrooxidans while 9.27% in the absence of bacteria. 3. F.ferroxidans was capable of producing sufficient quantities of ferric sulfate and sulfuric acid from ferrous iron to bring about the dissolution of 100% of copper from the Dalsung chalcopyrite.