Biooxidation kinetics of Leptospirillum ferriphilum under heap bioleach conditions

Abstract

Although the kinetics of biological oxidation of ferrous to ferric iron–the key step in any bioleaching process–have been studied for a variety of organisms, the focus has always been on conditions typical of tank-bioleaching. In heaps, parameters such as pH and temperature vary widely across the heap and are usually far from optimal. Total iron concentrations are usually much lower than the tanks(except in gold heaps), and the presence of dissolved gangue mineral is usually much more significant