Bioleaching of Uranium Ore by a Novel Acidophilic Consortium at Different Acid Concentrations

This study examined bioleaching of uranium ore at different acid concentrations by a novel consortium culture combined with both mesophilic and moderately thermophilic acidophiles containing 4 species of bacteria and 1 species of fungus. Four plastic buckets were set up with uranium minerals at room temperature (about 27-32°C) at different acid concentration (6g/l and 15g/l) for acidification and initial pH of 1.6, 1.8 and 2.1 for bioleaching, respectively. Results showed that from a point of application in commercial uranium bioleaching, higher acidified concentrations of acid can shorten the duration and working cycles of uranium recovery, and a higher initial pH in bioleaching stage can reduce the usage of acid.