Biohydrometallurgy: Biotech key to unlock mineral resources value Guanzhou Qiu

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1 Biohydrometallurgy: Biotech key to unlock mineral resources value Guanzhou Qiu Central South University

2 Outline I. Research Background II. Progress Phenotypic to genotypic studies Qualitative to Quantitative analysis 3. Theory to practice III. Outlook

3 I. History of biohydrometallurgy in China 6 th or 7 th centry BC, SanHaiJing : in SongGuo mountain, LuoShui River flowing out and into WeiShui River, which contain much copper 2 nd centry BC (Han Dynasty ) Huai Nan Wan Bi Shu:"copper was obtained when iron was put into BaiQing solution " AD ( Tang and Song Dynasty ): copper hydrometallurgy factories were established and the annual highest copper production reached more than 50 tons. 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

4 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).

5 History of biohydrometallurgy in China 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 tons of cathode copper was built in Zijin Mining Company, and the cathode copper purity reached the international level A standard.

6 History of biohydrometallurgy in China 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

7 History of biohydrometallurgy in China 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.

8 II. Progress 1 Phenotypic to genotypic studies Phenotypic studies Metallurgists used AMD to culture for bioleaching. Deep red acid mine drainage (AMD) Microbiologists selected microorganism based on morphology by microscopic Microorganisms observed by SEM

9 1 Phenotypic to genotypic studies Fig.3 The different bioleaching rate by several A. ferrooxidans strains with different oxidation and tolerance ability abilityability However, they are not certain or care about correlation between microbiology and metallurgy.

10 1 Phenotypic to genotypic studies Microscopic studies 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/T ) has been established: Methods for the detection of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and its oxidation activity by microarray whole genomic map of A. f No. of genes 800 Strain specific genes 700 Core genes Hypotehtical Prot. hypo. Pro. -Conserved Cell Envelope Transport and binding Pro. Energy metabolism Unknown function Cellular processes DNA metabolism Regulatory functions Protein sythesis Protein fate Biosynthesis of confactors,prosthetic groups,carriers homology class function gene distribution of A. f Mobile and extrachromo.element fuctions Amino acid biosynthesis Central intermediary metabolism Purines,pyrimidines,nucleotides Disrupted reading frame Transcription Signal transduction Fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism

11 1 Phenotypic to genotypic studies Advantages of the standard 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. Gene Chip Test of bioleaching strains(3days) oxidation ability of different strains tested by leaching experiments(75 days)

12 1 Phenotypic to genotypic studies 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.

13 2 From the qualitative to quantitative analysis Community Genomic Array(CGA) Functional Gene Array (FGA) quantitative analyze microbial community structures and functions Types of Types of probes Information Sensitivity Resolution array provided CGA Genomic DNA Community structures 0.1 ng Genus, species FGA Oligos or cdna of Population 5 ng Species, functional genes functions strain

14 2 From the qualitative to quantitative analysis Applications of CGA and FGA 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 SLS YTW DWT ZJ Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Leptospirillum ferrooxidans Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Acidothermus cellulolyticum Thermoplasmataceae archaeon Sulfolobus sp. Sulfobacillus sp. Thiomonas spp Hydrogenobacter acidophilus Alicyclobacillus spp. Acidianus sp. Actinomyces naeslundii Microthrix parvicella Acidobacteria Desulfovibrio longus Acidiphilum spp. Holophaga sp. Thermomicrobium roseum FKBZ KZX Metallosphaera sp. YSK1 YSK2 YSK3 Microbes community structure of different site Microbes community structure at different time

15 16 2 From the qualitative to quantitative analysis Sulphur oxidation related gene Signal intensity Ferrous oxidation related gene thioredoxin sulfur_reductase sulfide_quinone_oxidoreductase sulfide_quinone_reductase iro 0 rusticyanin Time (Day) ferredoxin hip ferrochelatase Functional genes The bioleaching microbial community dynamics at different time 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.

16 2 From the qualitative to quantitative analysis Optimization of microbial consortium 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 optimized microbial consortia and their in bioleaching effect Microbes A. f Lep. Acidip. Actino. Acido. Extraction Time CombinationI 17.5% 23% 8.7% 1.6% 10.3% 55.23% CombinationII 37.5% 22.7% 4.5% 9.8% 7.1% 57.21% CombinationIII 16% 29% 2% 0% 43% 62.25% 55 days CombinationIV 12.1% 16.9% 38.7% 1.7% 5.8% 75.11%

17 3 From theory to practice Copper mine Dexing copper mine(the first one) 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 biooxidization selected by microarray were input to the bioleaching systems. More than tons of copper have been recovered so far. Heap Pregnant solution SX-EW plant The first copper bioleaching plant in China set in 1997

18 3 From theory to practice Copper mine Zijinshan Copper mine(the biggest one) 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 Total Fe gl-1 Eh (SHE) mv Temperature Pregnant solution C Heap temperature 70 C

19 3 From theory to practice Copper mine 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

20 3 From theory to practice Copper mine Zijinshan Copper mine heap bioleaching industrial application in Zijinshan Copper mine

21 3 From theory to practice Copper mine Zijinshan Copper mine The comparison of bioleaching and conventional smelting technology Treatment methods Biohydrometallur gy Acidifica Green House Energy consumption Water tion Resource/ Effect Effect t Electric/kW Coal/kg Water/m 3 CO 2 /kg SO 2 /kg h Flotation-smelting Comparison % 44.97% 38.35% 12.85% 37.50% 15.09%

22 3 From theory to practice Copper mine Chambishi copper mine the adapted microorganisms were expanded by culturing in 5 L, 50 L, 1 M3, 20 M3 and 150 M 3 stirred tank, successively

23 3 From theory to practice Copper mine 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%

24 3 From theory to practice Gold mine Most of gold mines are difficult to recover using traditional processing technologies There are more than 12 biooxidation 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 biopretreatment technology made a great contribution. gold production of of China

25 3 From theory to practice Uraniun mine 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 uranium oxidation rate (mg/(l.d)) uranium oxidation rate uranium recovery percentage acidic pre-leaching microbial-ferric leaching time (day) uranium recovery percentage (%) culture into the heap leaching in Fuzhou 721 mine in Jiangxi, the uranium extraction percentage could achieve up to 96% in 97 days,

26 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.

27 Established international society Hosted the 19th International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium, 24th International Mineral Processing Congress and other 12 international conferences International Biohydrometallurgy Society 协会注册文件 Headquarters:CSU, CHINA Chairman: Prof. Dominique Morin Vice-chairman:Prof. Qiu Guanzhou Secretary general:prof. Liu Xueduan IBS academic council vote to Approve association establishment International group coming from China Prof. Tiedjie (Acadamician Academy of sciences)

28 International research network of Biohydgrometallurgy Oklahoma US Canada University of Utah Lawrence Labroatory University of California Oak Ridge National Laboratory Brazil UK Russia Switzerland Germany France Congo Pakistan India China Hongkong Korea Taiwan Japan Chile Argentina Zambia South Africa University of Queensland Australia CSIRO Monash University Established long-term, stable cooperation and exchange with the the world's leading scientific institutions and renowned scientists

29 Target Increase the utilization ratio of minerals resources from 33% to 96%

30 Thanks a lot!