The progress of biohydrometallurgy in China - CAE · History of biohydrometallurgy in China 1950s, a biohydrometallurgy laboratory was founded by Professor He Fuxu in Central-South

Biohydrometallurgy: Biotech key to unlock mineral resources value

Central South University

2014. 06

Guanzhou Qiu

Outline

I. Research Background

II. Progress

1. Phenotypic to genotypic studies

Qualitative to Quantitative analysis

3. Theory to practice

III. Outlook

1

2

3

6th or 7th centry BC,

《SanHaiJing》 : “in SongGuo

mountain, LuoShui River flowing out

and into WeiShui River, which

contain much copper”

2nd centry BC (Han Dynasty )

《 Huai Nan Wan Bi Shu:"copper

was obtained when iron was put into

BaiQing solution ".

600-960 AD ( Tang and Song

Dynasty ): copper hydrometallurgy

factories were established and the

annual highest copper production

reached more than 50 tons.

I. History of biohydrometallurgy in China

The progress of biohydrometallurgy in China

《SanHaiJing》The Classic of Mountains And

Seas

《 Huai Nan Wan Bi Shu》a gigantic collection by Huai Nan Tzu on numerous physical and chemical phenomena

History of biohydrometallurgy in China

1950s, a biohydrometallurgy laboratory was founded by

Professor He Fuxu in Central-South Institute of Mining and

Metallurgy to start bioleaching research.

1960, industry experiment began in TongGuanShan Copper

Mine by Microbial Institute of CAS

1970, heap bioleaching amount of 700 tons of low grade

uranium ore.

1995, a plant to exploit the low grade copper waste ore was

set up in Dexing Copper Mine cooperated Central South

University of Technology (Central South University).



1999, ecological and genomic research of bioleaching

microorganisms were to carry out by Central South

University cooperated with Oak Ridge National Laboratory

in USA.

2000, China's first plant for bio—pretreatment of refractory

gold ore with annual treatment of 50 tons gold concentrate

was officially launched.

2005, a bioextraction plant with a capacity of 30000 tons of

cathode copper was built in Zijin Mining Company, and the

cathode copper purity reached the international level A

standard.


the main biohydrometallurgy research units:

Central South University,

Beijing Non-Ferrous Metal Research Institute,

Institute of Process Engineering and Institute of

Microbiology in Chinese Academy of Sciences,

ShanDong University,

Changchun Gold Research Institute,

Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and

Metallurgy of China National Nuclear Corporation

KunMing University of Science and Technology



The researches carried out by the above units

mainly focus on three aspects:

(1) microbiology of bioleaching;

(2) microbial-mineral interaction research;

(3) multi—factor strong correlation of

bioleaching system.



Deep red acid mine drainage (AMD)

Microorganisms observed by SEM

Phenotypic to genotypic studies

Metallurgists used AMD

to culture for bioleaching.

Microbiologists selected

microorganism based on

morphology by

microscopic


II. Progress

1

Phenotypic studies

Fig.3 The different bioleaching rate by several A. ferrooxidans strains

with different oxidation and tolerance ability abilityability

Phenotypic to genotypic studies

However, they are not certain or care about correlation

between microbiology and metallurgy.


1

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

homology class

No. of genes

Strain specific genes

Core genes

Hypotehtical Prot.

hypo. Pro. -Conserved

Cell

En

velo

pe

Tra

nsp

ort

an

d b

ind

ing

Pro

.

Un

kno

wn

fun

ctio

n

En

erg

y m

eta

bo

lism

DN

A m

eta

bo

lism

Cellu

lar

pro

cesses

Pro

tein

sy

thesis

Reg

ula

tory

fu

nctio

ns

Pro

tein

fate

Cen

tral in

term

ed

iary

meta

bo

lism

Am

ino

acid

bio

sy

nth

esis

Mo

bile a

nd

ex

trach

rom

o.e

lem

en

t fu

ctio

ns

Bio

sy

nth

esis

of

co

nfa

cto

rs,p

rosth

etic g

rou

ps,c

arr

iers

Fatty

acid

an

d p

hosp

holip

id m

eta

bo

lism

Sig

nal tr

an

sd

uctio

n

Tra

nscri

ptio

n

Dis

rupte

d r

ead

ing

fra

me

Pu

rin

es,p

yri

mid

ines,n

ucle

otid

es

whole genomic map of A. f

function gene distribution of A. f

Whole genome of Acidithiobacillus

ferrooxidans ATCC23270 was

sequenced by CSU cooperated with

JGI in USA(2004).

320 high oxidation genes werw found

based on genomic information,.

a national standard (GB/T20929-

2007) has been established: “Methods

for the detection of Acidithiobacillus

ferrooxidans and its oxidation activity

by microarray”


Phenotypic to genotypic studies1

Microscopic studies

Gene Chip Test of bioleaching

strains（3days）

oxidation ability of different strains

tested by leaching experiments(75 days)

High oxidation ability strains

were screened rapidly and

accurately.

Leaded the bioleaching

mechanism studies to gene and

genomic level

Expound the relationship

between microbial leaching

behavior(phenotype) and

genotype.



Advantages of the standard

The gene, genome, and the metagenomics technology used in biohydrometallurgy

With the rapid development of biological technology: genetic, genomic, and metagenomic

technologies are more and more applied in biohydrometallurgy field.




From the qualitative to quantitative analysis2

Types of

array

Types of probes Information

provided

Sensitivity Resolution

CGA Genomic DNA Community

structures

0.1 ng Genus,

species

FGA Oligos or cDNA of

functional genes

Population

functions

5 ng Species,

strain

Community Genomic Array(CGA)

Functional Gene Array (FGA)

quantitative analyze

microbial community

structures and functions

SLS YTW DWT ZJ FKBZ KZX YSK1YSK2 YSK3

Metallosphaera sp.

Thermomicrobium roseum

Holophaga sp.

Acidiphilum spp.

Desulfovibrio longusAcidobacteria

Microthrix parvicellaActinomyces naeslundii

Acidianus sp.Alicyclobacillus spp.

Hydrogenobacter acidophilusThiomonas spp

Sulfobacillus sp.Sulfolobus sp.

Thermoplasmataceae archaeonAcidothermus cellulolyticum

Acidithiobacillus thiooxidansLeptospirillum ferrooxidans

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

Microbes community structure of different site Microbes community structure at different time

Detected the dynamics of microbial community structures and leaching

functions quantitatively and synchronous.

Analyze the effect of leaching parameters on microbes growth and

oxidation ability.



Applications of CGA and FGA

1618

2022

2426

2830

34

ferrochelatase

hip

ferredoxin

rusticyanin

iro

sulfide_quinone_reductase

sulfide_quinone_oxidoreductase

sulfur_reductase

thioredoxin

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

Signal intensity

Time (Day)

Functional genes

Sulphur oxidation related gene

Ferrous oxidation related gene

The dynamic of bioleaching

microbes function genes

FGA has the potential as a specific, sensitive and quantitative

tool in revealing a comprehensive picture of the compositions

of genes in bioleaching systems.



The bioleaching microbial community

dynamics at different time

Microbes A. f Lep. Acidip. Actino. Acido. Extraction Time

CombinationI 17.5％ 23％ 8.7％ 1.6％ 10.3％ 55.23%

55 days

CombinationII 37.5％ 22.7％ 4.5％ 9.8％ 7.1％ 57.21％

CombinationIII 16％ 29％ 2％ 0％ 43％ 62.25%

CombinationIV 12.1％ 16.9％ 38.7％ 1.7％ 5.8％ 75.11%

optimized microbial consortia and their in bioleaching effect

The microbial consortium was optimized used above technologies.

The new optimized consortium was used for the bioleaching of low grade

copper sulphide in some Copper Mines extraction was remarkably raised



Optimization of microbial consortium

From theory to practice — Copper mine

Heap

SX-EW plant

Pregnant solution


Dexing copper mine(the first one)

3

More than 350 million tons of waste ore.

Low grade 0.05%-0.25% copper.Totally

about 600, 000 tons of copper metal.

Mainly composed of primary copper sulfide

difficult to recove using the traditional

biohydrometallurgy method.

Microbial strains with efficiency of bio-

oxidization selected by microarray were

input to the bioleaching systems. More than

50000 tons of copper have been recovered

so far. The first copper bioleaching

plant in China set in 1997

Zijinshan Copper mine(the biggest one)


From theory to practice — Copper mine 3

Mineralogy characteristics

• Copper minerals (0.4% Cu)

-Secondary copper sulfide minerals

– Digenite-chalcocite 0.23%

– Covellite 0.20%

-Primary copper sulfide mineral

-Enargite 0.10%

• Pyrite 5.80%/

Operational characteristics

– pH 0.8-1.0

– Total Fe 50-60 gL-1

– Eh (SHE) 710-740 mV

– Temperature

• Pregnant solution 50-60 C

• Heap temperature 70 C



• Successful bioleach process

– 80% recovery of copper

• 100% recovery from secondary copper sulfides

• Non-aerated heap

– Bioleaching in “extreme” conditions

• High acidity

• High concentration of iron

• High temperature

– Significance of the plant operation

• These are conditions favoring use of thermophilic

archaea for bioleaching primary copper sulfides

heap bioleaching industrial application in Zijinshan Copper mine

Zijinshan Copper mine



Treatment

methodsResource/

t

Energy consumption WaterGreen House

Effect

Acidifica

tion

Effect

Electric/kW·

hCoal/kg Water/m3 CO2/kg SO2/kg

Biohydrometallur

gy307.46 3915.14 1402.22 21.76 4090.57 11.93

Flotation-smelting 278.41 8706.90 3656.24 168.09 10909.29 79.04

Comparison 110.43% 44.97% 38.35% 12.85% 37.50% 15.09%

The comparison of bioleaching and conventional smelting technology



Zijinshan Copper mine

Chambishi copper mine

the adapted microorganisms were expanded by culturing in 5 L, 50 L, 1 M3,

20 M3 and 150 M3 stirred tank, successively



The cultured microorganism were added to bioleaching heap

with 600,000 tons of low grade copper ore (in 2 months) :

copper extraction percentage increased by 20%;

acid consumption reduced by 35%



gold production of of China

Most of gold mines are

difficult to recover using

traditional processing

technologies

There are more than 12 bio-

oxidation plants were set up

in China.

Tianli Gold Company

developed the CCGRI gold

bio-oxidation technology in

2003 and works very well so

far.

China’s gold production has

become the world‘s first for

four years. The bio-

pretreatment technology

made a great contribution.


From theory to practice — Gold mine 3

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100-200

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

microbial-ferric leachingacidic pre-leaching

uranium oxidation rate

uranium recovery percentage

time (day)

ura

niu

m o

xid

ati

on

ra

te (

mg

/(L

.d))

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

ura

niu

m re

co

ve

ry p

erc

en

tag

e (%

)

Industrial bioleaching of uranium

started in 1970s to treat with

tailings( more than 20,000 tons).

Large-scale application from

1990s in south and north of

China.

Using the optimized mixed

culture into the heap leaching in

Fuzhou 721 mine in Jiangxi, the

uranium extraction percentage

could achieve up to 96% in 97

days，


From theory to practice — Uraniun mine 3

III. Outlook

The main challenges for biohydrometllurgy

The diversity of mineral material: Primary and secondary

minerals in sulphide ores; all kinds of minerals in the oxidation

zone; gangue mineral.

The diversity of biological reactions: The oxidation of sulfide

minerals dissolve; Acid and alkali neutralization reaction of

oxidation minerals dissolve, and so on.

The diversity of microbial populations and functions: changes

along with the leaching process in different stages and

locations.

Diversity matching: Processing parameters and reaction in

bioleaching processing.

Hosted the 19th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, 24th

International Mineral Processing Congress and other 12 international

conferences

协会注册文件

IBS academic council vote to

Approve association establishment

“International group coming from China”

Prof. Tiedjie (Acadamician Academy of sciences)

International Biohydrometallurgy

Society

Headquarters：CSU, CHINA

Chairman: Prof. Dominique Morin

Vice-chairman：Prof. Qiu Guanzhou

Secretary general：Prof. Liu Xueduan

Established international society

Established long-term, stable cooperation and exchange with the

the world's leading scientific institutions and renowned scientists

US

Canada

South Africa

Taiwan

Hongkong

China

AustraliaArgentina

Chile

Russia

Zambia

Brazil

UK

Congo

University of Queensland

Monash University

IndiaOak Ridge National Laboratory

University of UtahOklahoma

University of California

France

CSIRO

Korea

JapanPakistan

Switzerland

Germany

Lawrence Labroatory

International research network of

Biohydgrometallurgy

Target

Increase the utilization ratio of minerals resources from

33% to 96%

Thanks a lot !

Documents

The progress of biohydrometallurgy in China - CAE · History of biohydrometallurgy in China 1950s, a biohydrometallurgy laboratory was founded by Professor He Fuxu in Central-South