Elevated-pH bioleaching of a low-grade ultramafic nickel sulphide ore in stirred-tank reactors at 5 to 45 °C

This study is a continuation of previous work designed to assess the effect of elevated-pH bioleaching on a low-grade ultramafic nickel sulphide ore from Manitoba, Canada. The ore contains 21% magnesium and 0.3% nickel. Nickel is the only significant metal value, and is present primarily as pentlandite. A substantial fraction of the magnesium is present as lizardite, making processing of the ore difficult with conventional pyro- and biohydrometallurgical techniques. This work has two objectives: to maximize nickel extraction, and to minimize magnesium mobilization. Five-week stirred-tank bioleaching experiments were conducted with finely ground ore (− 147 µm) at three pH levels (3, 4 and 5) and five temperatures (5, 15, 22.5, 30, and 45 °C). The initial rate of nickel extraction from pentlandite was observed to be inversely correlated to acidity at all temperatures, while the final extraction of nickel after 5 weeks was determined to be moderately correlated to acidity at high temperatures and negatively correlated to acidity at low temperatures. The advantage of elevated-pH bioleaching was most evident at 5 °C, in which the final extraction of nickel at pH 5 was approximately 250% greater than at pH 3. Electron probe X-ray microanalysis of the post-leach residues revealed that the un-reacted lizardite was enriched with nickel during experiments conducted at pH 5, and that the extent of enrichment was a strong function of temperature. The undesirable extraction of magnesium exhibited a strong negative pH–temperature interaction and the consumption of sulphuric acid directly tracked the extraction of magnesium over all experimental conditions. Bioleaching at elevated pH substantially increased the ratio of nickel to magnesium in the leachate, and resulted in a substantial reduction in sulphuric acid consumption.