i have heard about some gold mines using bacteria to extract gold from ore. how does it work? and where can i get those bacteria?
2007-08-17 22:51:06 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
First, you can get the bacteria used for bioleaching gold ores anywhere - they are ubiquous!
The most important player in the bioleaching process is Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. It is a chemoautotrophic acidophile, meaning that it obtains its energy from inorganic sources and fixes its own carbon while growing in an acidic medium. Its unique ability to oxidise ferrous to ferric, and sulphur and reduced sulphur compounds to sulphuric acid, leads to leaching of metals from their oxide and sulphide ores. http://www.ias.ac.in/resonance/Aug2004/pdf/Aug2004p27-34.pdf
2007-08-19 15:14:51 · answer #1 · answered by Metallic stuff 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Additional info: It's used as a secondary process though, 'cause it takes a veeery long time to extract appreciable amounts of gold. It's like waiting for a hunk of iron to rust and reveal the small chip of gold inside.
2007-08-18 20:05:46 · answer #2 · answered by Revue 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The bug doesn't extract gold but it oxidises minerals containing the gold and so dissolves them. So the gold particles bound up in the minerals are released. The bug is called
Thiobacillus ferrooxidans
2007-08-17 23:07:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋