Biomining is the biotechnology that uses microorganisms to recover metals, in particular copper and gold, from ores and concentrates. Having developed from a very simple operational (in terms of both engineering and biology) process, biomining has developed into a multifaceted technology, to the extent that many of the largest industrial stirred tanks and heaps throughout the world are employed for bioprocessing minerals. This book has a strong applied approach and describes emerging and established industrial processes, as well as the underlying theory of the process, and the biology of the microorganisms involved.
- Chapter s have been written by personnel from leading biomining companies, consultants and internationally recognized researchers and academics.