Leaching of a silicate and carbonate copper ore with heterotrophic fungi and bacteria, producing organic acids.

Leaching of metals with carbon-heterotrophic microorganisms and organic acids as active agents has been performed with Timna copper ore containing 1.1% copper as carbonates and silicate and with some other metal oxides. Aspergillus niger surface cultures on a 14% sucrose fermentation medium yeilded 87.3% of total copper from 10% suspension within 2 weeks of leaching. On sulfite liquor as an industrial waste product A. niger solubilized 73.8% Cu within 4 weeks. In percolators with 14% sucrose medium up to 1780 ppm copper were found in solution. In leaching experiments with a sea water medium containing 7% sucrose only 684 ppm Cu were soluble. Leaching with lactobacilli containing whey yielded 83.4% of the total copper in 4 weeks.