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US 8,597,933 B2Granted
Method of treating a sulphide mineral
AssigneeBHP Billiton SA Limited
InventorsGeorge Frederick Rautenbach, Carol Susan Davis-Belmar, Cecilia Susana Demergasso
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Abstract
A copper bioleaching process which makes use of a consortium which contains Leptospirillum ferriphilum and a sulphur oxidising microorganism which is halophilic or halotolerant.
Claims10
A method of treating a sulphide mineral or mixed sulphide and oxide mineral comprising bioleaching the mineral in a chloride ion solution with a mixed culture consortium wherein:
- a) the chloride ion content is in the range of about 5,000 ppm to about 30,000 ppm;
- b) the chloride ion solution contains at least one of the following:
- aluminium, magnesium and sodium;
- c) the temperature of the solution is in excess of about 10° C.;
- d) the pH of the solution is in the range of about 1 to about 3;
- and
- e) the mixed culture consortium contains at least a salt tolerant strain of Leptospirillum ferriphilum which is strain Sp-Cl deposited at the DSMZ under the accession number DSM22399, and a sulphur oxidising microorganism which is halophilic or halotolerant, which consortium enhances the rate of ferrous iron oxidation.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.