Fundamental and Application of a Biotechnology for Extractive Metallurgy

Jaeheon Lee is an associate professor in the department of
mining engineering at Colorado School of Mines. He has 20
years industry and academic experience in mining and metallurgy. He worked for both Newmont and Barrick Gold as a corporate metallurgical engineer working on various new projects, operation support, and R&D. Immediately before joining Colorado School of Mines, he has held a faculty position in the department of mining and geological engineering at the
University of Arizona. He got his BS and MS in Metallurgical
Engineering from Korea University and PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Arizona.
Bacteria and Archaea play a very important role in mineral extraction (bioleaching) of metal values from sulfide ore and pretreatment (biooxidation) of refractory precious metals locked in sulfide minerals. The mechanism of the role of the microorganisms is the process of oxidation of the sulfidic minerals. Conditions for reactors used for the two processes must be favorable to promote the growth of the microbes. The focus of this presentation is to serve as an introduction of the microorganisms, the microbe/mineral association to enhance sulfide oxidation, requirements for biohydrometallurgical processing and examples for bioleaching secondary and primary copper sulfide ores and biooxidation pretreatment of gold locked in a pyrite matrix.