Interfacial electrokinetic characteristics before and after bioleaching microorganism adhesion to pyrite

Jian She Liu*, Zhao Hui Wang, Hong Chen, Yan Hua Zhang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Zeta potentials of pyrite and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cultured by sulfur in different levels of ionic strength and pH values were measured by Coulter Delsa 440SX zeta potential determinator. Meanwhile, the effects of bacterial adhesion and bacterial concentration on zeta potential of pyrite after adsorption were investigated. The results show that with the increase of ionic strength, zeta potentials of pyrite decrease in the range of pH 2.5-10.5 and the isoelectric point (IEP) of mineral shifts to the left. It is also found that the specific adsorption on pyrite of chloride ion can affect zeta potentials of pyrite sharply. As bacterial adsorption occurs, IEP of pyrite shifts towards that of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans; as bacterial concentration is increscent, this tendency is even larger and more obvious. Finally, a reasonable explanation for above-mentioned experimental phenomena was given by electrical double layer model and surface ionization model.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)676-680
Number of pages5
JournalTransactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (English Edition)
Volume16
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2006
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
  • Adhesion
  • Electrical double layer model
  • Isoelectric point
  • Pyrite
  • Zeta potential

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