{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11278"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11278","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Interrelationship of hydrology, microbial colonisation and hydrometallurgy in a simulated chalcopyrite heap leach","abstract":"Chalcopyrite is the most abundant primary copper sulphide mineral found worldwide. As copper grades of ores available for extraction decrease, heap bioleaching is gaining interest as a potential operating alternative to traditional methods of roasting and smelting. The efficiency by which bacteria assist leaching chalcopyrite is governed by their interaction and association to the sulphide mineral in the ore. While both planktonic and mineral-associated micro-organisms contribute to the bioleaching of mineral sulphides through the oxidation of ferrous iron little information exists as to their ability to adhere and leach low grade chalcopyrite ore. This study was undertaken to determine the association of defined and mixed microbial species on a chalcopyrite concentrate and a chalcopyrite ore. At. ferrooxidans, At. caldus, At. thiooxidans and L. ferrooxidans were grown in pure culture and used to investigate the mineral-microbe association within defined experimental parameters of two experimental operations.","abstract_html":"Chalcopyrite is the most abundant primary copper sulphide mineral found worldwide. As copper grades of ores available for extraction decrease, heap bioleaching is gaining interest as a potential operating alternative to traditional methods of roasting and smelting. The efficiency by which bacteria assist leaching chalcopyrite is governed by their interaction and association to the sulphide mineral in the ore. While both planktonic and mineral-associated micro-organisms contribute to the bioleaching of mineral sulphides through the oxidation of ferrous iron little information exists as to their ability to adhere and leach low grade chalcopyrite ore. This study was undertaken to determine the association of defined and mixed microbial species on a chalcopyrite concentrate and a chalcopyrite ore. At. ferrooxidans, At. caldus, At. thiooxidans and L. ferrooxidans were grown in pure culture and used to investigate the mineral-microbe association within defined experimental parameters of two experimental operations.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Spurr, Nicholas Robert Louis"],"institution":"Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Harrison, STL","Van Hille, Rob"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008","date_published":"2008","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:46Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11278","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Harrison, STL","Van Hille, Rob"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Spurr, Nicholas Robert Louis"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-01-04T14:37:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-01-04T14:37:57Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2008"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11278"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-115)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Chalcopyrite is the most abundant primary copper sulphide mineral found worldwide. As copper grades of ores available for extraction decrease, heap bioleaching is gaining interest as a potential operating alternative to traditional methods of roasting and smelting. The efficiency by which bacteria assist leaching chalcopyrite is governed by their interaction and association to the sulphide mineral in the ore. While both planktonic and mineral-associated micro-organisms contribute to the bioleaching of mineral sulphides through the oxidation of ferrous iron little information exists as to their ability to adhere and leach low grade chalcopyrite ore. This study was undertaken to determine the association of defined and mixed microbial species on a chalcopyrite concentrate and a chalcopyrite ore. At. ferrooxidans, At. caldus, At. thiooxidans and L. ferrooxidans were grown in pure culture and used to investigate the mineral-microbe association within defined experimental parameters of two experimental operations."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Interrelationship of hydrology, microbial colonisation and hydrometallurgy in a simulated chalcopyrite heap leach"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Harrison, STL","Van Hille, Rob"],"dc:creator":["Spurr, Nicholas Robert Louis"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-01-04T14:37:57Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-01-04T14:37:57Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2008"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-115)."],"dc:description.abstract":["Chalcopyrite is the most abundant primary copper sulphide mineral found worldwide. As copper grades of ores available for extraction decrease, heap bioleaching is gaining interest as a potential operating alternative to traditional methods of roasting and smelting. The efficiency by which bacteria assist leaching chalcopyrite is governed by their interaction and association to the sulphide mineral in the ore. While both planktonic and mineral-associated micro-organisms contribute to the bioleaching of mineral sulphides through the oxidation of ferrous iron little information exists as to their ability to adhere and leach low grade chalcopyrite ore. This study was undertaken to determine the association of defined and mixed microbial species on a chalcopyrite concentrate and a chalcopyrite ore. At. ferrooxidans, At. caldus, At. thiooxidans and L. ferrooxidans were grown in pure culture and used to investigate the mineral-microbe association within defined experimental parameters of two experimental operations."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11278"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Interrelationship of hydrology, microbial colonisation and hydrometallurgy in a simulated chalcopyrite heap leach"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:46Z"}