Recovery of nonferrous metals from complex ore mill tailings by bio-leaching

The article describes the experimental directional and real transformation of complex ore mill tailings. The experiments were carried out on a laboratory plant simulating regime of in-situ upward leaching with capillary rise of solutions and their immobilization on a vapor barrier on ground surface. The oxidizing components of a leaching agent were solutions of hydrogen peroxide with the concentrations of 0.5%, 3.0% and 10.0 % in the comparison with the indigenous bacterial transformation. The indigenous type of bacteria was extracted directly from the test ore mill tailings. For the cultivation of the indigenous microorganisms, the culture medium was inoculated in the seepage flow. The tests revealed the dependence of the concentration of nonferrous metal ions in the solution on the initial redox potential and produced the data on the transformation process kinetics in the upward seepage mass transfer. It is found that the oxidative effect of the bacteria on the process is similar to the influence of hydrogen peroxide. It is proved that the autochtonous microflora takes an active participation in the oxidative seepage leaching when the mineral material acts as a single growth medium for microorganisms. The rates of extraction of cobalt ions, copper ions and nickel ions in the liquid phase differ and depend on the leaching solution composition. 

Gurevich Yu. L., Mikhailov A. G., Usmanova N. F., Teremova M. I., Zuev A. E. Recovery of nonferrous metals from complex ore mill tailings by bio-leaching. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2026;(10):126-140. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2026_10_0_126.

The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Grant No. 25-17-20016, State Registration No. 7125061006884-7 and by the Krasnoyarsk Region Science Foundation, and used equipment of the Krasnoyarsk Shared-Use Center at the Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Yu.L. Gurevich¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Chief Researcher, e-mail: btchem@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0250-845X,
A.G. Mikhailov^1,2, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Chief Researcher, e-mail: mag@icct.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5537-7479,
N.F. Usmanova², Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Researcher, Siberian Federal University, 660041, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, e-mail: usman@icct.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0430-535X,
M.I. Teremova¹, Leading Technologist, e-mail: mterem@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5982-2960,
A.E. Zuev¹, Leading Engineer, e-mail: alex_corp85@mail.ru, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0912-4395,
¹ Federal Research Center Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the RAS (FRC KSC SB RAS), 660036, Krasnoyarsk, Russia,
² Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology SB RAS — a separate division of FRC KSC SB RAS, 660036, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

A.G. Mikhailov, e-mail: mag@icct.ru.

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