Comparative study on bioleaching of two different types of low-grade copper tailings by mixed moderate thermophiles

Abstract

Abstract The bioleaching of two different types of low-grade copper tailings, acid-leaching tailings (ALT) and copper flotation tailings (CFT) by mixed moderate thermophiles, and the variation of mineralogical and microbiological characteristics during their dissolution processes were comparatively investigated. Results showed that bioleaching behaviors of the two types of tailings were significantly different. In ALT bioleaching, lower redox potential, higher [Fe3+]/[Fe2+] ratio and higher cell density in solution were obtained. These resulted in higher total copper, primary copper sulfide and secondary copper sulfide extractions, compared with CFT bioleaching. X-ray diffraction analysis suggested that gypsum and some metal organic complexes were detected in CFT bioleaching, which could cause the sluggish oxidation of sulphide minerals. The shifts of microbial community in the leachates and leaching residues varied greatly between ALT and CFT bioleaching. The percentage of iron-oxidizing bacteria in ALT bioleaching was higher than that of CFT, but the sulfur-oxidizing bacteria percentage was the opposite. The archaeon F. thermophilum L1 was detected in ALT but not in CFT.