PROCESS FOR MICROBIOLOGICALLY LEACHING COKE

摘要

A process is provided for leaching valuable metals from an acid amenable coke using the acid generated from sulphur oxidizing bacteria grown in contact with the coke. A culture of Thiobacillus thiooxidans is grown on a source of sulphur in the presence of the coke to generate sufficient acidity to solubilize such metals as nickel, vanadium and titanium. In particular, flexicoking coke obtained in upgrading bitumen from tar sand is amenable to the leaching process of the present invention.