Atomic force microscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy study on bioleaching of CuS by acidophilic leaching organisms
The bioleaching mechanism of model mineral system, synthesized copper sulphide, was studied by using acidithiobacillus thiooxidans (At. thiooxidans) and the mixture of three bacteria including At. thiooxidans, acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ( Af. ferrooxidans ) and leptospirillum ferrooxidans ( Lf. ferrooxidans ). The topographies of copper sulphide during bioleaching process were continuously monitored by using contact mode atomic force microscopy. Different bioleaching mechanism was revealed with the direct contact by At. thiooxidans bacteria and both the direct contact and noncontact mechanism in the mixed culture, which also demonstrated that the bacteria can selectively attached on the copper sulphide surface through the direct contact mechanism. Based on this finding, we are able to pattern the bacteria on the copper sulphide band on the SiO2/Si substrate for the first time. In the meanwhile, the change of conductivity of copper sulphide substrate due to the attachment of bacteria or the dissolution of copper sulphide under the function of bacteria was quantified and characterized by recording the probe approach curve using scanning electrochemical microscopy.
Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans CuxS bioleaching mechanisms
Xiaocui Zhao Miao Chen
CSIRO Minerals, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
国际会议
The 19th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium(第19届国际生物湿法冶金大会 IBS2011)
长沙
英文
244-248
2011-09-18（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）