Interfacial electrokinetic characteristics before and after bioleaching microorganism adhesion to pyrite

Zeta potentials of pyrite and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cultured by sulfur in different levels of ionic strength and pH values were measured by Coulter Delsa 440SX zeta potential determinator. Meanwhile, the effects of bacterial adhesion and bacterial concentration on zeta potential of pyrite after adsorption were investigated. The results show that with the increase of ionic strength, zeta potentials of pyrite decrease in the range of pH 2.5–10.5 and the isoelectric point(IEP) of mineral shifts to the left. It is also found that the specific adsorption on pyrite of chloride ion can affect zeta potentials of pyrite sharply. As bacterial adsorption occurs, IEP of pyrite shifts towards that of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans; as bacterial concentration is increscent, this tendency is even larger and more obvious. Finally, a reasonable explanation for above-mentioned experimental phenomena was given by electrical double layer model and surface ionization model.