5. Conclusion
As this general article on biohydrometallurgy has shown, three scientific fields have played a complementary role, in time and space on a global scale, in the emergence of technologies using microbiological life in the exploitation of mineral resources.
First and foremost, microbiology, with its discoveries about the interactions between micro-organisms and the mineral world. There can be no doubt that advances in biochemistry, molecular biology and, in particular, molecular ecology will provide a better understanding of how species function in these open systems.
The scientific know-how of mineralurgy has now made it possible to develop the means to exploit the microbiological properties of potential interest to envisage industrializable applications. Finally, metallurgical engineering sciences have enabled the design of installations for...
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Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Software tools
Balance sheet calculation tools for the extractive minerals industry (USIMPAC, BILCO, INVENTEO & ECHANT) – CASPEO : http://www.caspeo.net/
Websites
BioMinE, the film "The Invisible Miners" as an introduction to biohydrometallurgy and a visit to KCC's facility in Uganda on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKMkH1rcj38
Minerals Engineering Online: http://www.min-eng.com/index.html
...Events
Biohydrometallurgy: a symposium on the applications of biohydrometallurgy, sponsored by the journal Minerals Engineering, held every two years in England and South Africa alternately.
http://www.min-eng.com/biohydromet18/paps.html
International Biohydrometallurgy Symposium: a symposium on scientific advances...
Patents
A process for the leaching of chalcopyrite – Patent WO 38/39491 – Applicant and inventor: Anthony PINCHES.
Process for continuous treatment of sulfide minerals for metal recovery – Patent FR 96.01748 – Inventors: D. MORIN and P. OLLIVIER.
Process and apparatus for continuous treatment of copper sulfide minerals – Patent FR 99.11178 – Inventors D. MORIN, P. NORRIS.
Directory
Manufacturers – Suppliers – Distributors
Milton Roy Mixing : http://miltonroymixing.com
BACTECH: http://www.bactechgreen.com/
BHP : http://www.bhp.com
...Statistical and economic data
There's no denying that bioleaching occupies a growing niche covering primary and secondary resources (residues and by-products) with low recoverable metal content and containing penalizing elements such as arsenic.
This is evidenced by the strong growth in the number of demonstration and industrial-scale facilities tackling an ever wider range of substances, whether in static (figure...
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