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The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures

The leaching process of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite in presence of bacteria is considered a 2-step mechanism, in which i) the mineral sulphide is chemically leached by ferric iron into the metal ion and sulphate and ii) the bacteria regenerate ferric iron. The kinetic parameters of these subproce...

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Main Author: Van Scherpenzeel, Dorothee Agnes
Format: Thesis
Language:English
English
Published: Department of Chemical Engineering 2026
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access_status_str Open Access
author Van Scherpenzeel, Dorothee Agnes
author_browse Van Scherpenzeel, Dorothee Agnes
author_facet Van Scherpenzeel, Dorothee Agnes
author_sort Van Scherpenzeel, Dorothee Agnes
collection Thesis
description The leaching process of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite in presence of bacteria is considered a 2-step mechanism, in which i) the mineral sulphide is chemically leached by ferric iron into the metal ion and sulphate and ii) the bacteria regenerate ferric iron. The kinetic parameters of these subprocesses are determined in presence of Leptospirillum-like bacteria as the main ferrous iron oxidizing bacterium. The bacterial regeneration of ferric iron was determined in a continuous culture with a feed solution of 12 g· l-1 ferrous iron. The pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite leaching in presence of bacteria was followed in a batch culture whereby in the exponential growth phase pyrite, resp. pyrite/arsenopyrite was added in stages. Unique of this method is that the process is followed by the off-gas analysis and redox potential of the solution. With the off-gas analysis the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration in the incoming air and outcoming gas was measured and the ferrous iron concentration in the solution was derived with the redox potential. The bacterial ferrous iron oxidation followed modified Monod kinetics with the redox potential as driving force.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42914
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language English
eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:33:07.122Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2026
publishDateRange 2026
publishDateSort 2026
publisher Department of Chemical Engineering
publisherStr Department of Chemical Engineering
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42914 The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures Van Scherpenzeel, Dorothee Agnes Chemical Engineering The leaching process of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite in presence of bacteria is considered a 2-step mechanism, in which i) the mineral sulphide is chemically leached by ferric iron into the metal ion and sulphate and ii) the bacteria regenerate ferric iron. The kinetic parameters of these subprocesses are determined in presence of Leptospirillum-like bacteria as the main ferrous iron oxidizing bacterium. The bacterial regeneration of ferric iron was determined in a continuous culture with a feed solution of 12 g· l-1 ferrous iron. The pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite leaching in presence of bacteria was followed in a batch culture whereby in the exponential growth phase pyrite, resp. pyrite/arsenopyrite was added in stages. Unique of this method is that the process is followed by the off-gas analysis and redox potential of the solution. With the off-gas analysis the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration in the incoming air and outcoming gas was measured and the ferrous iron concentration in the solution was derived with the redox potential. The bacterial ferrous iron oxidation followed modified Monod kinetics with the redox potential as driving force. 2026-02-26T12:47:11Z 2026-02-26T12:47:11Z 1996 2024-07-11T12:01:54Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42914 en eng application/pdf Department of Chemical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Chemical Engineering
Van Scherpenzeel, Dorothee Agnes
The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures
thesis_degree_str Master's
title The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures
title_full The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures
title_fullStr The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures
title_full_unstemmed The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures
title_short The kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by Leptospirillum-like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite/arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures
title_sort kinetics of ferrous iron oxidation by leptospirillum like bacteria in absence and in presence of pyrite and pyrite arsenopyrite mixtures in continous and batch cultures
topic Chemical Engineering
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42914
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