Simultaneously enhance iron/sulfur metabolism in column bioleaching of chalcocite by pyrite and sulfur oxidizers based on joint utilization of waste resource

Abstract In chalcocite (Cu2S) bioleaching, the lack of iron metabolism is a key restricting factor. As the most common sulfide mineral, pyrite (FeS2) can release Fe(Ⅱ) and compensate for the iron metabolism deficiency in chalcocite bioleaching. The bioleaching of chalcocite in an imitated industrial system was improved by enhancing the iron–sulfur metabolism simultaneously using pyrite and sulfur oxidizers based on the joint utilization of waste resources, while the bioleaching performance and community structure in the leachate were systematically investigated. Due to the active sulfur/iron metabolism, the pH reached 1.2, and Fe3+ was increased by 77.78%, while the biomass of planktonic cells was improved to 2.19 × 107 cells/mL. Fourier transform infrared reflection (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis results showed that more iron–sulfur crystals were produced due to more active iron–sulfur metabolism. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that many derivative particles and corrosion marks appeared on the surface of the ore, implying that the mineral–microbe interaction was strengthened. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed the accumulation of cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on the ore surface, indicating a stronger contact leaching mechanism. Furthermore, the community structure and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) demonstrated that the introduction of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and pyrite could maintain the diversity of dominant leaching microorganisms at a high level. Sulfobacillus (27.75%) and Leptospirllillum (20.26%) were the dominant sulfur-oxidizing and iron-oxidizing bacteria during the bioleaching process. With the accumulation of multiple positive effects, the copper ion leaching rate was improved by 44.8%. In general, this new type of multiple intervention strategy can provide an important guide for the bioleaching of low-grade ores.