Acidophiles in bioreactor mineral processing.
Mineral processing in bioreactors has become established in several countries during the past decade with industrial application of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria to release occluded gold from mineral sulfides. Cobalt extraction in bioreactors has also been commercialized, and development of high-temperature biooxidation of copper sulfides has reached pilot-plant scale. A variety of potentially useful mineral sulfide-oxidizing thermophiles have been recognized, but the most active strains have not been fully characterized.
Norris
P R
PR
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. P.R.Norris@warwick.ac.uk
Burton
N P
NP
Foulis
N A
NA
D000143:Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D001105:Archaea / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism
D000143:Acids; D008670:Metals; D008903:Minerals; D013440:Sulfides; C011342:pyrite; D007501:Iron