Closed-loop bioleaching of lithium cobalt oxide
The adapted mesophilic consortium of acidophilic chemolithotrophs was used for indirect leaching in a low-waste closed-loop system (with 10 % lithium cobalt oxide (LCO)). The process involved generation of sulfuric acid in an acid-generating bioreactor, two- to three-week leaching of LCO with the biogenic acid (pH 0.9), selective precipitation of Co as hydroxide, and recirculation of the metal-free liquor back into the AGB.