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Bioleaching kinetics and multivariate analysis of spent petroleum catalyst dissolution using two acidophiles
Debabrata Pradhan1, Debaraj Mishra, Dong J Kim
1Minerals and Material processing Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon 305-350, Republic of Korea.
Journal of Hazardous Materials
|November 3, 2009
Summary
This study explored metal recovery from waste catalysts using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Results show varying metal dissolution kinetics, with Molybdenum being slower than Nickel and Vanadium.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Environmental Science
- Metallurgy
Background:
- Waste petroleum catalysts contain valuable metals like Nickel, Vanadium, and Molybdenum.
- Bioleaching offers a sustainable method for metal recovery from industrial waste.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate metal recovery from waste petroleum catalyst using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans.
- To investigate the influence of various leaching parameters on metal dissolution kinetics.
Main Methods:
- Bioleaching experiments were performed using two acidophilic microorganisms.
- Key parameters including contact time, pH, oxidant concentration, pulp density, particle size, and temperature were optimized.
- Kinetic analysis and multivariate statistical methods (PCA, MLR) were employed.
Main Results:
- Dissolution kinetics for Molybdenum were found to be lower compared to Nickel and Vanadium.
- Activation energy for metal dissolution was calculated using the Arrhenius equation.
- Multivariate analysis identified significant leaching parameters for both iron and sulfur oxidizing bacteria.
Conclusions:
- Acidophilic microorganisms can be utilized for metal recovery from waste petroleum catalysts.
- Molybdenum's slower dissolution may be attributed to sulfur product layer formation or inherent refractoriness.
- Optimized leaching parameters are crucial for efficient metal recovery.
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