Comparison of three different bioleaching systems for Li recovery from lepidolite.

Three different biological systems, the consortium of autotrophic bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, heterotrophic fungus Aspergillus niger and heterotrophic yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, were investigated for lithium extraction from lepidolite. The bacterial consortium was the most effective, 11 mg l of Li was dissolved in the absence of nutrients within 336 days. Fungal and yeast bioleaching was faster (40 days), however, with lower extraction efficiency.

Influence of H2SO4 and ferric iron on Cd bioleaching from spent Ni-Cd batteries.

The paper is concerned with biohydrometallurgical methods of cadmium recovery from spent Ni-Cd batteries. Cd leaching efficiency from electrode material in different media (H(2)SO(4) and Fe(2)(SO(4))(3) solutions), at different Fe(III) concentrations and using the bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans were investigated. The main aim of this study was to understand which from the bioleaching products (sulphuric acid or ferric sulphate) play a main role in the bioleaching process of Cd recovery.