title: Bioleaching of chalcopyrite by moderately thermophilic microorganisms.
abstract: The leaching of chalcopyrite by moderately thermophilic microorganisms was investigated by employing cyclic voltammetry (CV), accompanying with the leaching behavior elucidation. Leaching experiment showed that there was clear benefit in leaching chalcopyrite within the low solution potential (below 400 mV vs. SCE), compared to the high potential leach (above 550 mV vs. SCE). Simultaneous maintenance of an appropriate concentration of total dissolved iron was necessary and also beneficial to leach chalcopyrite. The leaching results showed the existence of an optimum pH in the leaching of chalcopyrite by the moderately thermophilic microorganisms. The analysis of CV results revealed that the chalcopyrite was reduced to a series of intermediate products (such as talnakhite, bornite and chalcocite) in the cathodic, and then the intermediate product (chalcocite) was oxidized in the anodic.
authors.affiliation: School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, Hunan, PR China. qinwenqing369@126.com
authors.forename: Wenqing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Congren
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shaoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003300:Copper / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: C012819:chalcopyrite; D003300:Copper