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US 12,000,016 B2Granted
Environmentally-friendly compositions and methods for extracting minerals and metals from ore
AssigneeLocus Solutions Ipco, LLC
InventorsSean Farmer, Ken Alibek, Samal Ibragimova
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Abstract
The subject invention provides safe, environmentally-friendly, compositions and methods for extracting minerals and/or metals from ore. More specifically, the subject invention provides for bioleaching using a composition comprising one or more biosurfactant-producing microorganisms and/or microbial growth by-products. In specific embodiments, the composition comprises biosurfactant-producing yeasts and/or their growth by-products.
Claims8
A method for extracting minerals and/or metals from ore, the method comprising:
- obtaining ore comprising one or more minerals and/or metals selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, cobalt, lithium, zinc and nickel, and gangue;
- crushing, grinding, micronizing or pulverizing the ore into smaller ore particles;
- applying a biological leaching reagent comprising a Starmerella bombicola yeast and/or a growth by-product thereof to the ore particles, wherein the growth by-product is a biosurfactant;
- mixing the biological leaching reagent with the ore particles to form a slurry;
- allowing the minerals and/or metals to separate from the ore;
- and
- collecting the minerals and/or metals from the slurry.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.