Linking Microbial Community Dynamics in BIOX® Leaching Tanks to Process Conditions: Integrating Lab and Commercial Experience

Mariette Smart; Robert J. Huddy; Catherine J. Edward; Charl Fourie; Trust Shumba; Jonathan Iron; Susan T.L. Harrison

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.262.38

Paper Titles

Bioleaching of Supergene Porphyry Copper Ores from Sungai Mak Gorontalo of Indonesia by an Iron- and Sulfur-Oxidizing Mixotrophic Bacterium
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Comparison of Reductive and Oxidative Bioleaching of Jarosite for Valuable Metals Recovery
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The MONDO Minerals Nickel Sulfide Bioleach Project: From Test Work to Early Plant Operation
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Recent Advances in Biomining and Microbial Characterisation
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Linking Microbial Community Dynamics in BIOX^® Leaching Tanks to Process Conditions: Integrating Lab and Commercial Experience
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Enzymatic Pre-Treatment of Carbonaceous Matter in Preg-Robbing Gold Ores: Effect of Ferrous Ion Additives
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Microbial Population of Industrial Biooxidation Reactors
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An XPS and XANES Study on the Bioleaching of Arsenopyrite with or without Pyrite
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Evaluation of Long-Term Post Process Inactivation of Bioleaching Microorganisms
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Linking Microbial Community Dynamics in BIOX^® Leaching Tanks to Process Conditions: Integrating Lab and Commercial Experience

Abstract:

In the commercial BIOX^® process, an acidophilic mixed bacterial and archaeal community dominated by iron and sulphur oxidising microorganisms is used to facilitate the recovery of precious metals from refractory gold-bearing sulphidic mineral concentrates. Characterisation of the microbial communities associated with commercial BIOX^® reactors from four continents revealed a significant shift in the microbial community structure compared to that of the seed culture, maintained at SGS (South Africa). This has motivated more detailed study of the microbial community dynamics in the process. Microbial speciation of a subset of the BIOX^® reactors at Fairview mines (Barberton, South Africa) and two laboratory maintained reactors housed at Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research, University of Cape Town, has been performed tri-annually for three years by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The laboratory BIOX^® culture maintained on Fairview concentrate was dominated by the desired iron oxidiser, Leptospirillum ferriphilum, and sulphur oxidiser, Acidithiobacillus caldus, when operated under standard BIOX^® conditions. Shifts in the microbial community as a result of altered operating conditions were transient and did not result in a loss of the microbial diversity of the BIOX^® culture. The community structure of the Fairview mines BIOX^® reactor tanks showed archaeal dominance of these communities by organisms such as the iron oxidiser Ferroplasma acidiphilum and a Thermoplasma sp. for the period monitored. Shifts in the microbial community were observed across the monitoring period and mapped to changes in performance of the commercial process plant. Understanding the effect of changes in the plant operating conditions on the BIOX^® community structure may assist in providing conditions that support the desired microbial consortium for optimal biooxidation to maximize gold recovery.

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Periodical:

Solid State Phenomena (Volume 262)

Pages:

38-42

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.262.38

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Online since:

August 2017

Authors:

Mariette Smart, Robert J. Huddy, Catherine J. Edward, Charl Fourie, Trust Shumba, Jonathan Iron, Susan T.L. Harrison*

Keywords:

Bioleaching, BIOX^® Process, Microbial Community Dynamics, Sulphidic Mineral

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* - Corresponding Author

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