Influence of Organic Solvents on Chalcopyrite Oxidation Ability of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans.

It has been shown that organic solvents used primarily for the extraction of metals from aqueous leach liquors decrease both the surface tension of the aqueous phase and the chalcopyrite oxidation ability of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. For the reagents and modifiers investigated, the order of inhibition was found to be LIX 70 < LIX 73 < LIX 71 < LIX 64N < LIX 65N < TBP approximately isodecanol approximately nonylphenol < LIX 63 <<< D(2)EHPA approximately Kelex 100 < Kelex 120 <<< Alamine 336 approximately Alamine 308 approximately Alamine 310 < Alamine 304 < Adogen 381 approximately Aliquat 336 < Adogen 364. To avoid limitation in bacterial activity, organic matter should be removed from the recycling liquor prior to leaching.