Acidophiles in bioreactor mineral processing

Extremophiles. 2000 Apr;4(2):71-6. doi: 10.1007/s007920050139.

Abstract

Mineral processing in bioreactors has become established in several countries during the past decade with industrial application of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria to release occluded gold from mineral sulfides. Cobalt extraction in bioreactors has also been commercialized, and development of high-temperature biooxidation of copper sulfides has reached pilot-plant scale. A variety of potentially useful mineral sulfide-oxidizing thermophiles have been recognized, but the most active strains have not been fully characterized.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acids / metabolism*
  • Archaea / growth & development
  • Archaea / metabolism*
  • Bioreactors / microbiology*
  • Hot Temperature
  • Industrial Microbiology / methods
  • Industrial Microbiology / trends*
  • Iron / metabolism
  • Metals / isolation & purification
  • Metals / metabolism
  • Minerals / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Phylogeny
  • Sulfides / metabolism

Substances

  • Acids
  • Metals
  • Minerals
  • Sulfides
  • pyrite
  • Iron