Abstract
Optimization of batch pyrite bioleaching with Sulfolobus acidocaldarius was performed using statistical modelling and experimental design. First a screening design was made followed by response surface modelling. The dominating factors identified were pH, pulp density and particle size. The highest batch leaching rate after optimization was 270 mg iron·l−1·h−1 for 6% (w/v) pulp density, pH = 1.5 and particle size <20 μm. This represents a 3.5-fold increase from the leaching rate of 80 mg iron·l−1·h−1 obtained under our standard laboratory conditions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Box GEP, Hunter WG, Hunter JS (1978) Statistics for experimenters. An introduction to design, data analyses and model building. Wiley, New York
Brereton RG (1990) Chemometrics, application of mathematics and statistics to laboratory systems. Ellis Horwood, New York
Bruynesteyn A, Hackl RP, Wright F (1986) The Biotankleach process. In: Fivaz CE, King RP (eds) Gold 100, Proceedings of the International Conference Gold, vol 2. Extractive metallurgy of gold. South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Johannesburg, pp 353–365
Helle U, Onken U (1988) Continuous microbial leaching of a pyrite concentrate by Leptospirillum-like bacteria. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 28:553–558
Höskuldsson A (1988) PLS regression methods. J Chemometrics 2:211–228
Meyerson AS (1981) Oxygen mass transfer requirements during the growth of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans on iron pyrite. Biotechnol Bioeng 23:1413–1416
Morgan E (1991) Chemometrics: experimental design. Wiley, London
Lawrence RW, Marchant PB (1988) Comparison of mesophilic and thermophilic oxidation systems for the treatment of refractory gold ores and concentrates. In: Norris PR, Kelly DP (eds) Biohydrometallurgy. Science and Technology Letters, Kew, Surrey, UK, pp 359–374
Lindström EB, Gunneriusson L (1990) Thermophilic bioleaching of arsenopyrite using Sulfolobus and a semi-continuous laboratory procedure. J Ind Microbiol 5:375–382
Norris PR, Barr DW (1988) Bacterial oxidation of pyrite in high temperature reactors. In: Norris PR, Kelly DP (eds) Biohydrometallurgy. Science and Technology Letters, Kew, Surrey, UK, pp 532–536
Norris PR, Parrot L (1986) High temperature mineral concentrate dissolution with Sulfolobus. In: Lawrence RW, Branion RMR, Ebner HG (eds) Fundamental and applied biohydrometallurgy. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 355–365
Silverman MP, Lundgren DG (1959) Studies on the chemoautotrophic iron bacterium Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans. I. An improved medium and a harvesting procedure for securing high yields. J Bacteriol 77:642–647
Ståhle L, Wold S (1986) On the use of some multivariate statistical methods in pharmacological research. J Pharmacol Methods 16:91–110
Torma AE, Walden CC, Duncan DW, Branion RMR (1972) The effect of carbon dioxide and particle surface area on the microbiological leaching of a zinc sulfide concentrate. Biotechnol Bioeng 14:777–786
Wold S, Ruhe A, Wold H, Dunn WJ (1984) The colinearity problem in linear regression. The partial least squares (PLS) approach to generalized inverses. SIAM J Sci Statist Comput 5:735–743
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Correspondence to: E. B. Lindström
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Börje Lindström, E., Wold, S., Kettaneh-Wold, N. et al. Optimization of pyrite bioleaching using Sulfolobus acidocaldarius . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 38, 702–707 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00182813
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00182813