Electrochemistry of marmatite-carbon paste electrode in the presence of bacterial strains.

The electrochemical behaviors of a marmatite-carbon paste electrode with the chemical leaching of Fe3+ ions, or the microbial leaching using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, were compared. The cyclic voltammograms of the electrode in the presence and absence of bacterial strains showed that the leaching process of marmatite was carried out by the different reactions occurring in the interface of the marmatite electrode-leach liquid. The polarization currents of the electrode under the differently applied potentials suggested that the microbial leaching of marmatite could be accelerated by the applied potential. The SEM observations indicated that the corrosion pits formed in the electrode surface were similar to the attached bacterial cells in shape and size, other than that by the chemical leaching of Fe3+ ions. The contact leaching of the attached cells on the mineral substrate played an important role on the dissolution of marmatite in addition to the chemical leaching of Fe3+ ions.