Marmatite bioleaching with moderately thermoacidophilic bacterial strain and mineral analyses of solid residues

The bioleaching of a marmatite flotation concentrate with a moderately thermoacidophilic iron-oxidizing bacterial strain (MLY) is influenced significantly by temperature, pH, particle size, pulp density of ores and bacterial strains. Under such leaching conditions as the initial pH value of 1.5, temperature of 50℃, pulp density of 5%, particle size less than 35.5μm (over 90%) and inoculating the adapted strains of MLY, the leached Zn is over 95% after 10d of bioleaching. SEM observations show the cell attachment and the surface features of solid residues under different leaching conditions. XRD and EDX analyses show that a mass of elemental sulfur form during the bioleaching process. The technological feasibility of a microbiological process using MLY for extracting zinc from the marmatite concentrate is demonstrated.