L2M NSERC -Enzymatic Biooxidation Technology (EnBiTe) for recovery of Gold

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With bioleaching and biooxidation, the required metals are recovered from ores and waste streams with less environmental impact and cheaper costs through mineral processes. The process technology and effective implementation of this technique are being studied and developed all around the globe. Conventional mining methods, such as cyanidation, pyrometallurgy, intensive heating (roasting), and combustion of ore samples under high pressure, cannot inexpensively extract gold from a sulfide-based mineral matrix. The biooxidation process becomes more cost-effective and efficient when high-throughput bacterial growth data and process information on extraction and recovery methods are included. Biooxidation of refractory gold ores for effective gold recovery is the subject of this project, which will cover significant achievements and breakthroughs in the area as well as related industry and academic research. To do so, the experiment and working with the microorganisms will be assessed in both laboratory and semi-pilot scales (column tests and stirred reactor) to obtain the maximum efficiency. Although the experimental results from microorganism-assisted biooxidation might be of interest, the challenge of biooxidation under cold conditions has not yet been addressed and more research is needed to overcome this issue. Using bio-oxidation in a cold environment may lead to considerable operational and labor-intensive expenses, as well as heating costs. The best strategy is to employ one that keeps these expenses to a minimum as it is of interest to both the government and the business sector. Controlling temperature and heating expenses may be difficult in Canada because of the large capacity of the heap and reactor. Therefore, in this research project, a new Enzymatic Biooxidation Technology (EnBiTe®) unit is developed and used to make the heap and reactor independent of microorganisms' activity and consequently temperature. The overall market assessment of the proposed process showed that by implementing this method, the ore sample with the minimum gold grade of 0.3 g/ton could be quickly introduced at a lower cost compared to the previous methods.