File:FerricLeachingRates.PNG

Summary

Rates of ferrous iron production from the chemical ferric leaching of 64pm pyrite and the rates of ferrous iron consumption by bacterial oxidation to the ferric form by 'L. ferrooxidans' and T. ferrooxidans, respectively. The curves are calculated using the kinetic constants for bacterial ferrous iron oxidation reported by Boon (1996) and van Scherpenzeel (1997) and the kinetic constants for ferric leaching of pyrite reported by May et a/. (1997). Pyrite concentration was calculated as rnol (I culture volume)-' even though not all of the pyrite will be soluble under all conditions. The concentration of pyrite was assumed to be 0.1 mM and the bacterial concentration 0.012 mM carbon. Sourced from: Rawlings DE, Tributsch H, Hansford GS. 1999. Reasons why 'Leptospirillum'-like species rather than Thiobacillus ferrooxidans are the dominant iron-oxidizing bacteria in many commercial processes for the biooxidation of pyrite and related ores. Microbiology 145:5-13.