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Oxidation Of Molybdenite With The Aid Of Microorganisms, Ralph Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This work represents a study on the biological oxidation of molybdenite, MoS2. The principal objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of the biological oxidation of molybdenite, to determine the physical and chemical conditions under which the oxidative process occurs, and to develop a strain of bacteria or alter the activity of the microorganisms by acclimatization to increase their activity on sulfide minerals, in particular molybdenite. Minerals used in this study were pyrite (FeS2), chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), molybdenite concentrate, and molybdenite ore. The microorganisms used in this investigation were autotrophic bacteria obtained from the leaching streams of Bingham Canyon, …