COMPARISON OF KINETICS OF BLACK SHALE BIOLEACHING PROCESS USING STATIONARY AND AGITATED SYSTEMS

In the study, the kinetics of black shale ore bioleaching process, carried out in small column and tank reactor, was investigated. During all experiments the concentration of Cu 2+ ions in the leaching solution was determined as a function of leaching time. Based on the results obtained, kinetics of bioleaching processes in the agitated tank reactor and column reactor were compared. The rate of bioleaching in column was similar to that in agitated tank. For the experiments in column, two different types of packing materials (plastic bullets and sawdust) were tested in order to improve the bed porosity. The results showed that sawdust was the best packing material used in this study.