Research Geotechnological Center, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences (RGC FEB RAS) (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia)

Trukhin Yu. P., Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher, ytrukhin@yandex.ru
Iodis V. A., Candidate of Technical Sciences, Leading Researcher, iodisva@mail.ru
Ocheretyana S. O., Candidate of Biological Sciences, Senior Researcher, blossom-so@yandex.ru
Averianova V. E., Junior Researcher, purlac@inbox.ru

The paper experimentally demonstrates the possibility of significantly increasing the kinetics of bacterial-chemical leaching processes of cobalt-copper-nickel ores from the Shanuch deposit (Kamchatka) using the method of ultrasonic activation of ore pulp sent to bacterial-chemical reactors. The study used high-grade crushed massive ore (fraction ≤ 50 μm, Ni – 6,08%; Cu – 1,2%; Co – 0,17%; Fe₂O₃ – 41,3%, MnO – 0,092%, MgO – 3,21%, Al₂O₃ – 6,16%) and oxidized sulfide cobaltcopper-nickel ore (fraction ≤ 100 μm, Ni – 3,89%; Cu – 0,64%; Co – 0,084%; Fe₂O₃ – 31,6%, MnO – 0,082%, MgO – 3,95%, Al₂O₃ – 6,35%). For the experiment duration of 27 days. The intensity of ultrasonic vibrations was chosen to be 21 W/cm², frequency 22 kHz ± 1,65, duration 30 min. The results of two experiments showed an increase in the percentage of extraction of target metals using ultrasonic radiation by 30,18 – 51,48% for Ni; by 6,27 – 21,02% for Cu; by 37,35 – 38,55% for Co. The ratio of the Ni concentration in the solution after bacterial-chemical leaching of high-grade massive ore, oxidized ore activated by ultrasound and the Ni concentration in the solution for these ores without ultrasonic activation is in the range from 1,58 to 2,24, which demonstrates a significant increase in the kinetics of bacterialchemical processes. An estimated energy consumption for ultrasonic processing of ore pulp has been reduced to 0,55%. Continued research into optimizing bacterial-chemical processes using ultrasonic activation of ore pulps, coupled with the isolation of the most productive acidophilic chemolithotrophic microorganisms from oxidation zones of deposits, will enable the development of cost-effective, environmentally friendly technologies for processing cobalt-copper-nickel sulfide ores from deposits in the nickel-bearing provinces of the Far East.

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