METHOD FOR LEACHING OUT NICKEL FROM SULFIDE ORE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for economically leaching out nickel from a low-grade nickel-contg. sulfide ore which is unprofitable to the conventional method. SOLUTION: A low-grade nickel-contg. sulfide ore such as the tailings of nickel flotation is suspended in an aq. sulfuric acidacidified soln., the previously cultured iron oxidizing bacteria and sulfur oxidizing bacteria are inoculated, air is supplied into the soln. by shaking and stirring while keeping the suspension at the optimum temp. for the growth of the bacteria, and nickel is leached out as nickel ion. Thiobacillus ferrooxidans is used as the iron oxidizing bacteria and Thiobacillus thiooxidans as the sulfur oxidizing bacteria.