Bioflotation and bioflocculation of relevance to minerals bioprocessing

• Minerals bioprocessing, more specifically bio-beneficiation, concerns the enrichment of value minerals from ores and materials using conventional flotation and flocculation methods in the presence of microorganisms. The subject of bio-flotation and bio-flocculation is relatively new and there are already significant works reported in the literature although not overwhelming. Since the adhesion of microbial cells on minerals is a prerequisite to alter the surface chemistry of minerals favorable to either flotation or flocculation, most of the studies dealt on mineral-bacteria interactions in order to understand the mechanisms behind the mineral selectivity achieved in bio-beneficiation processes. This chapter attempts to survey the literature with a special emphasis on Acidithiobacillus and Bacillus group bacteria underlying our recent investigations in bioflotation and bioflocculation of metal sulfides. The potential of microorganisms in bio-beneficiation and the research needs to make it a viable technology are briefly outlined.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Metallurgi och metalliska material (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Metallurgy and Metallic Materials (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Mineral Processing

Mineralteknik

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kap (subject category)