Key Stage 4
Meaning
Bioleaching is a process of extracting minerals from their ore using bacteria then using electrolysis in solution to extract the metal form the mineral.
About Bioleaching
Bioleaching has several stages:
- Waste low grade ores are fed to bacteria where they take in the minerals and through chemical reactions convert them into soluble minerals.
- The solution is then filtered.
Electrolysis is then used to extract the metal from the mineral.
- Bioleaching is cheaper than smelting but takes much longer to extract the minerals than conventional mining.
- Bioleaching is used on the waste low grade ores from mining smelting would be too expensive and not enough mineral extracted.
References
AQA
- Bioleaching, page 100, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Bioleaching, page 213, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Bioleaching, page 220, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Chemistry, CGP, AQA
- Bioleaching, page 261, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA
- Bioleaching, page 291, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA
- Bioleaching, pages 200, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA