title: Biological oxidation of metallic copper by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.
abstract: This is a report on the kinetic aspects and the analytical study of the bioproducts of the oxidation of zero-valence copper by immobilized Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Two different mechanisms of oxidation were considered: direct and indirect. A custom-built bioreactor was used to grow A. ferrooxidans in an iron-free media, which was required for the study of the direct mechanism. X-ray microdiffraction analysis of the copper after biooxidation in the sulfate-free medium revealed the presence of the copper sulfate, piypite, K(2)Cu(2)O(SO(4))(2), which indicates biooxidation of Cu metal has occurred. It was shown that the direct oxidation exists, but it is relatively slow, as compared to the indirect mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 5B9, Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lilova
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karamanev
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Flemming
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karamaneva
mesh_terms: D042763:Acidithiobacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019149:Bioreactors; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism*; D019327:Copper Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D019327:Copper Sulfate