Biohydrometallurgical process to produce the coagulant ferric sulfate from the pyrite present in coal tailings

This paper presented details of a biohydrometallurgical study conducted to characterize the production of a ferric sulfate coagulate from pyrite (FeS2) contained in coal tailings. Leaching experiments were conducted with coal tailings samples from the Santa Catarina mining site in Brazil. The experiments were conducted for sterile and non-sterile samples, as well as samples inoculated with acidophilic bacteria and acidophilic bacteria with the addition of nutrients. Samples were collected weekly in order to analyze total iron, sulfate, and the amounts of Acidithiobacillus ferroxidans bacteria. An analysis of the samples showed that the pyrite oxidation, iron sulfate production, and quantities of bacteria were higher in the column inoculated with the bacteria and nutrient additions. The samples produced an aqueous solution that was rich in ferric sulfate. Water treatment tests demonstrated that the resulting coagulant is as efficient as conventionally-produced coagulants. 8 refs., 2 tab., 2 figs.