SBIR Phase I: Alternatives to Roasting: A Two-Stage Biohydrometallurgy Process of High Selectivity for Biooxidizing Molybdenum-Rhenium and Copper Sulfides

该小型企业创新研究第1阶段项目旨在开发低品位含铼钼矿石和精矿的生物氧化工艺模块。辉钼矿（MoS2）和黄铜矿（CuFeS2）分别是钼和铜的硫化物。铼（Re）是一种稀有金属，可以取代钼在铌铁矿晶格和铌铁矿是唯一重要的矿物来源。这些矿物通常共存于某个斑岩铜矿体中，目前，具有高价值和当前及潜在工业应用的铜精矿，除非对铜精矿进行焙烧，否则无法回收。这一过程本身是资本密集型的，并会产生SO2和其他环境影响。在这里，提出了一种新的工艺，它是高度选择性的顺序金属释放。我们描述了一种用于生物氧化硫化铜污染的辉铜矿精矿并选择性地动员铜或钼和铜的工艺模块。该工艺被设计成集成到预先存在的黄铜矿浸出回路中或作为独立的生物氧化设施，并将利用来自斑岩铜矿的辉铜矿。原料等级的可变性不应成为问题。 每年国内市场总额估计为6 000万至2亿美元。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase 1 project is designed to develop a biooxidation process module for low grade rhenium-bearing molybdenum ores and concentrates. Molybdenite (MoS2) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) are sulfides of molybdenum and copper, respectively. Rhenium (Re) is a rare metal that can substitute for molybdenum in the molybdenite crystal lattice and for which molybdenite is the only significant mineral source. These minerals frequently coexist in a given porphyry copper ore-body.Currently, rhenium, of high value and with current and potential industrial applications, cannot be recovered unless the molybdenite is roasted. This process in itself is extremely capital intensive and results in SO2 production and other environmental impacts. Here, a novel process is proposed which is highly selective for sequential metal release. We describe a process module for biooxidizing copper sulfide contaminated molybdenite concentrates and selectively mobilizing copper or molybdenum and rhenium.This process is designed to be integrated into a pre-existing chalcopyrite leach circuit or as an independent biooxidation facility and will utilize molybdenite originating from porphyry copper deposits. Variability in the grade of feed stocks should not be problematic. The total annual domestic market is estimated at $60-200 million.