Disclosed is method of leaching at least one desired element from feed material containing feed material fines, which includes combining such a feed material with a pulping solution comprising a liquid and a solution-hydrated or a solution-soluble polymer to form a treated slurry, with the polymer configured to predominantly capture at least part of the feed material fines prior to their settling out of the liquid slurry matrix, and with the polymer being added to the feed material in a predetermined ratio of polymer to feed material. The treated slurry is deposited in a deposition cell for leaching and further treatment. Also disclosed is a composition of a treated slurry, and treating any one or more of the feed material, the treated slurry or the deposited treated slurry with sulphide consuming bacteria.

Disclosed is method of leaching at least one desired element from feed material containing feed material fines, which includes combining such a feed material with a pulping solution comprising a liquid and a solution-hydrated or a solution-soluble polymer to form a treated slurry, with the polymer configured to predominantly capture at least part of the feed material fines prior to their settling out of the liquid slurry matrix, and with the polymer being added to the feed material in a predetermined ratio of polymer to feed material. The treated slurry is deposited in a deposition cell for leaching and further treatment. Also disclosed is a composition of a treated slurry, and treating any one or more of the feed material, the treated slurry or the deposited treated slurry with sulphide consuming bacteria.

An oxidative bioleaching process for leaching a base metal from an ore that includes an ore agglomeration step, an ore stacking step wherein agglomerated ore is stacked to form a heap, a curing step, a rinse step, an inoculation step and a leach step, and wherein, during the ore agglomeration step, the ore is contacted with an acid solution containing nitrate or nitrite thereby to accelerate tthe leaching rate in the leach step.

An oxidative bioleaching process for leaching a base metal from an ore that includes an ore agglomeration step, an ore stacking step wherein agglomerated ore is stacked to form a heap, a curing step, a rinse step, an inoculation step and a leach step, and wherein, during the ore agglomeration step, the ore is contacted with an acid solution containing nitrate or nitrite thereby to accelerate tthe leaching rate in the leach step.

The present disclosure relates to a method for recovering a metal or a metal compound, using genus Galdieria.

The present disclosure relates to a method for recovering a metal or a metal compound, using genus Galdieria.

The invention provides a process of isolating or enriching a heavy metal present in a liquid medium. The process comprising the following steps: (a) incubating a suspension containing (i) particulate scrap metal, household waste and/or industrial waste containing a heavy metal in elemental form and (ii) biomass comprising a bacterium, or a combination of two or more bacteria, capable of binding the heavy metal; (b) separating the biomass having bound heavy metal from the suspension of step (a); and (c) isolating the heavy metal from the biomass separated in step (b).

The invention provides a process of isolating or enriching a heavy metal present in a liquid medium. The process comprising the following steps: (a) incubating a suspension containing (i) particulate scrap metal, household waste and/or industrial waste containing a heavy metal in elemental form and (ii) biomass comprising a bacterium, or a combination of two or more bacteria, capable of binding the heavy metal; (b) separating the biomass having bound heavy metal from the suspension of step (a); and (c) isolating the heavy metal from the biomass separated in step (b).

The object of this invention is to provide a method of mineral flotation using bioreagents extracted from Gram positive bacteria Rhodococcus opacus and Rhodococcus erythropolis. In this sense, mineral floatability was evaluated using bioreagent extracted from Gram positive bacteria to determine its potential as an alternative to synthetic reagents and also an alternative to the use of microorganisms themselves (biomass).

The object of this invention is to provide a method of mineral flotation using bioreagents extracted from Gram positive bacteria Rhodococcus opacus and Rhodococcus erythropolis. In this sense, mineral floatability was evaluated using bioreagent extracted from Gram positive bacteria to determine its potential as an alternative to synthetic reagents and also an alternative to the use of microorganisms themselves (biomass).