Hydrometallurgical Processing of the Wastes of Polymetallic Ore Dressing

The possibility of hydrometallurgical treatment of old flotation tailings to extract base and noble metals was investigated. Two samples of old flotation tailings samples containing 0.26% and 0.36% of copper, and 0.22% and 0.23% of zinc were the subjects of this study. Agitation and percolator leaching was performed with distilled water and sulfuric acid solutions (of 0.5 to 10% H2SO4). It was shown that under certain conditions (sulfuric acid concentration) it was possible to achieve selective leaching of non-ferrous metals and obtain solutions with relatively low concentrations of iron ions, which is necessary for further effective extraction of non-ferrous metal ions from the solution. The effect of acid leaching on further gold recovery from the first sample containing 0.7 g/t of gold by cyanidation was investigated. The sample of the tailings after leaching with a 1% sulfuric acid solution was leached with 10% sulfuric acid. After that, the tailings sample and the acid leach residues were subjected to sorption cyanidation. Two-stage acid leaching with 1 and 10% sulfuric acid provided the higher gold recovery than one-stage (49 and 65%, respectively). Also it was shown that pregnant solution obtained during leaching of the second sample with 10% sulfuric acid may be used for oxidative leaching of substandard copper-zinc concentrate that allowed to 13 and 48% of copper and zinc from the concentrate during the leaching at 80∘C. Keywords: flotation tailings, leaching, substandard sulfide concentrate

Enrichment and isolation of acidophilic microorganisms from sediments of gold mine waste leachate

Microorganisms living in acidic environments associated with various types of mining wastes can be used for bioremediation of acid mine drainage (AMD) and related waste streams. We studied microbial diversity of the acidic sediments of a leachate puddle at the basement of a waste rock pile from gold mining in abandoned gold deposit in Martiga (Kemerovo region, West Siberia, Russia). The enrichments were established from four sediment samples with a pH ranging from 2.29 to 6.16. The enrichments cultures were set up at aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Pure cultures of bacteria involved in iron and sulfur oxidation were isolated. The isolated iron- and sulfur-oxidizing cultures were affiliated with Acidithiobacillus and Acidocella genera as was revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Strains of Desulfosporosinus-like spore-forming bacteria were isolated under anaerobic conditions. The pure culture isolates physiological and biochemical characterization is underway, which will provide new knowledge of AMD formation and natural processes of metal attenuation. The strains can also be prospective agents for use in bioleaching and bioremediation processes

Enrichment and isolation of acidophilic microorganisms from sediments of gold mine waste leachate

Microorganisms living in acidic environments associated with various types of mining wastes can be used for bioremediation of acid mine drainage (AMD) and related waste streams. We studied microbial diversity of the acidic sediments of a leachate puddle at the basement of a waste rock pile from gold mining in abandoned gold deposit in Martiga (Kemerovo region, West Siberia, Russia). The enrichments were established from four sediment samples with a pH ranging from 2.29 to 6.16. The enrichments cultures were set up at aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Pure cultures of bacteria involved in iron and sulfur oxidation were isolated. The isolated iron- and sulfur-oxidizing cultures were affiliated with Acidithiobacillus and Acidocella genera as was revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Strains of Desulfosporosinus-like spore-forming bacteria were isolated under anaerobic conditions. The pure culture isolates physiological and biochemical characterization is underway, which will provide new knowledge of AMD formation and natural processes of metal attenuation. The strains can also be prospective agents for use in bioleaching and bioremediation processes