METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BICATALYZED ANAEROBIC OXIDATION OF METAL SULFIDES

摘要

A method and apparatus (101) for anaerobic oxidation of metal sulfides in ores and concentrates. In the present invention, metal sulfides are oxidized in one reactor (101) under anaerobic or anoxic conditions using oxidized metal ions, such as ferrous ions (Fe+3), as the oxidizing agent. Anaerobic oxidation of elemental sulfur that is produced by metal sulfide oxidation is biocatalyzed by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, such as Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Thiobacillus thiooxidans, or Sulfolobus sp. The oxidized metal ions are produced biologically by iron-oxidizing bacteria in another reactor (201) under aerobic conditions. In a preferred embodiment, the anaerobic reactor (405) is an upflow, counter-current reactor having a fluidized bed of ore or concentrate particles and the aerobic reactor (403) is a plug-flow reactor (423).