08 June 2012
Honours Completion Seminar – Investigation of the presence of bacteria on metal sulphide particles inside chalcopyrite rock ore
Thursday 14 June 2012 – Presented by Udeshika Wijewardena
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Title: |
Investigation of the presence of bacteria on metal sulphide particles inside chalcopyrite rock ore |
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Speaker: |
Tracey Nel |
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Date: |
2012-06-14 |
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Time: |
12.00 pm |
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Location: |
223.01. Resources Room (Bundoora West campus) |
Abstract
Mining bacteria have the ability to release the minerals locked in rock ores which is commercially and environmentally favourable. There is extensive research currently conducted in the use of mining microorganisms, in addressing challenges faced during their use in commercial mineral processing.
This project investigates the presence of bacteria attached to metal sulphides inside rock ore. This occurrence will open doors for a novel lane way of research for new leach models.
This project concentrates in finding the presence of bacteria inside rock ore. The study is conducted on column leached chalcopyrite ore from La Granga copper deposits in Peru.
The current project includes a method of using a vice to crack open rock ore in order to obtain interior surface samples. This tool enables the application of controlled pressure on the rock ore without disturbing or destructing the presence of any microorganisms that inhabit.
This tool proves to be very useful in separating rock particles and most tools used in mineralogy are vigorous and makes it difficult to be used when studying microbial systems that work with rocks.
The results from this project will be extremely useful in the understanding of the behavior of mining microbes during its interaction with a rock ore. The revelation of this will provide a new reaction dynamic that could be explored to optimize the use of mining bacteria in the processing mineral ore.
Supervisor
- Associate Professor Ian Macreadie
Seminar coordinator: Leeanne Bickford Tel. +61 3 9925 7106