Simulated heap bioleaching of sulfide copper-nickel technogenic waste in the Arctic

Abstract

Abstract A laboratory scale study was conducted, aimed at finding an effective method for processing copper-nickel technogenic raw materials. The heap bioleaching effectiveness for the processing of low-grade copper-nickel raw materials in the climatic conditions of the Arctic was considered. The intensity of copper and nickel leaching was studied at various ambient temperatures. The role of aeration on the recovery level of metals into solution was considered. By the end of the experiment without aeration, 8.43% copper and 16.26% nickel were recovered, while the use of aeration for 100 days made it possible to recover 8.47% copper and 16.78% nickel.