BBS/BBF ENCAPSULATED MICROORGANISMS TECHNOLOGY FOR SOLID INOCULATION, THE NEXT STEP TO NOT USE WATER IN BIOLEACHING PROCESSES WITH HIGH PERFORMANCE

Industrial hydrometallurgical processes using copper oxides and mixed oxide/sulfide exhibit
high concentrations of several ions in their raffinates that hinder the treatment of copper ores with
microorganisms because they are strongly affected by ionic impurities. On the other hand, water
costs and hydric balance of processes in some mining sites, especially in desert areas, make it
impossible to use fresh water for the dilution of toxic solutions and compatibility of the microbial
activity in the bioleaching process. A strategy to address this in bioleaching applications has not
been solved with an economical sustainable way.