Bioleaching of chalcopyrite with different crystal phases by Acidianus manzaensis

Abstract

Abstract Bioleaching of chalcopyrite with different crystal structures (α-phase, β-phase and γ-phase) by Acidianus manzaensis was comparatively studied by synchrotron radiation based X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) and S K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The α-phase, β-phase and γ-phase chalcopyrite was prepared by heating original chalcopyrite at 583, 773 and 848 K, respectively. Bioleaching results showed that [Cu2+] in the leaching solution of α-phase, β-phase, γ-phase and original chalcopyrite after 10 days of bioleaching was 1.27, 1.86, 1.43 and 1.13 g/L, respectively, suggesting that β-phase had a better leaching kinetics than others. SR-XRD and XANES results indicated that jarosite and chalcopyrite were the main components in the leaching residues in all cases, and elemental sulfur formed in the early stage of bioleaching. While for β-phase and γ-phase chalcopyrite during bioleaching, bornite was produced in the initial stage of leaching, and turned into chalcocite on day 6.