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The National Technical Information Service acquires, indexes, abstracts, and archives the largest collection of U.S. government-sponsored technical reports in existence. The NTRL offers online, free and open access to these authenticated government technical reports. Technical reports and documents in its repository may be available online for free either from the issuing federal agency, the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s Federal Digital System website, or through search engines.

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Column Leaching of Low-Grade Chalcopyrite Ores Using Thermophilic Bacteria.

PB81128498

Publication Date	1979
Personal Author	Brierley, C. L.
Page Count	98
Abstract	Low-grade porphyry copper ores containing chalcopyrite as the primary mineral was leached by two strains of acidophilic, thermophilic microbes belonging to the genus Sulfolobus. Leach tests were conducted in glass columns heated to 60 to 70C. Ores sized to minus 12/-inch plus 50-mesh were effectively leached by the thermophilic organisms, bur ores sized to minus 2-inch plus 1/2-inch resisted leaching. Decreasing the pH of the leachate to about 1.8 enhanced the copper extraction from ore with the thermophilic microbes. The bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was relatively ineffective for extracting copper from the ore.
Keywords	Copper ores Leaching Chalcopyrite Thermophiles Bacteria Thiobacillus Extractive metallurgy Bacterial leaching Sulfolobus
Source Agency	Bureau of Mines
NTIS Subject Category	71N - Nonferrous Metals & Alloys
Corporate Authors	New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro.; Bureau of Mines, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept. 1 Jun 77-15 Jul 79.
NTIS Issue Number	198108

Column Leaching of Low-Grade Chalcopyrite Ores Using Thermophilic Bacteria.

Column Leaching of Low-Grade Chalcopyrite Ores Using Thermophilic Bacteria.
PB81128498

Publication Date	1979
Personal Author	Brierley, C. L.
Page Count	98
Abstract	Low-grade porphyry copper ores containing chalcopyrite as the primary mineral was leached by two strains of acidophilic, thermophilic microbes belonging to the genus Sulfolobus. Leach tests were conducted in glass columns heated to 60 to 70C. Ores sized to minus 12/-inch plus 50-mesh were effectively leached by the thermophilic organisms, bur ores sized to minus 2-inch plus 1/2-inch resisted leaching. Decreasing the pH of the leachate to about 1.8 enhanced the copper extraction from ore with the thermophilic microbes. The bacterium Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was relatively ineffective for extracting copper from the ore.
Keywords	Copper ores Leaching Chalcopyrite Thermophiles Bacteria Thiobacillus Extractive metallurgy Bacterial leaching Sulfolobus
Source Agency	Bureau of Mines
NTIS Subject Category	71N - Nonferrous Metals & Alloys
Corporate Authors	New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro.; Bureau of Mines, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept. 1 Jun 77-15 Jul 79.
NTIS Issue Number	198108