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Minerals
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Microorganisms in Rare Earth Elements Bioleaching
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Microorganisms in Rare Earth Elements Bioleaching

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (27 November 2020) | Viewed by 8499

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Watkin

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Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, CHIRI Biosciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
Interests: biohydrometallurgy; rare earth elements; haloacidophiles
Dr. Melissa Corbett

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, CHIRI Biosciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
Interests: phosphate solubilizing microorganisms; rare earth element extraction and recovery; nitrogen fixation
Dr. Homayoun Fathollahzadeh

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A4, Canada
Interests: biohydrometallurgy; rare earth elements; critical minerals; circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of microorganisms in the release of metals from low-grade sulfide ores is a well-established technology; recently, however, the application of bioleaching to the release of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) has received increased attention. REEs have become increasingly essential in modern-day technologies with their extensive use in green and smart technologies, such as solar panels and smartphones. However, the recovery of REEs using traditional methods is expensive and energy-intensive, leading to the requirement to develop processes that are more economically feasible and environmentally friendly. The use of REEs-solubilizing microorganisms for the biohydrometallurgical processing of REEs provides a potential biotechnical approach for the recovery of REEs from primary and secondary sources.

This Special Issue will focus on the bioleaching of REEs-bearing minerals and wastes and its underlying mechanisms.

Prof. Dr. Elizabeth Watkin
Dr. Melissa Corbett
Dr. Homayoun Fathollahzadeh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biohydrometallurgy
  • biomining
  • bioleaching
  • biooxidation
  • geomicrobiology
  • rare earth elements

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2896 KiB  
Article
Bioleaching of Uranium Tailings as Secondary Sources for Rare Earth Elements Production
by Nicolas Reynier, Roselyne Gagné-Turcotte, Lucie Coudert, Sophie Costis, Rory Cameron and Jean-Francois Blais
Minerals 2021, 11(3), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11030302 - 16 Mar 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4071
Abstract
Tailings from inactive uranium mine sites represent a potential secondary source of rare earth elements (REEs). For this study, two mine tailings (DT and RAT) from restored uranium sites in Ontario, Canada, were used. Bioleaching experiments were conducted with a mix of native [...] Read more.
Tailings from inactive uranium mine sites represent a potential secondary source of rare earth elements (REEs). For this study, two mine tailings (DT and RAT) from restored uranium sites in Ontario, Canada, were used. Bioleaching experiments were conducted with a mix of native sulfur- and iron-oxidizing bacteria to test the solubilization of REEs, U and Th at different temperatures (20, 30 and 40 °C). The selective recovery of REEs from bioleaching solution was evaluated using different ion exchange resins. The mineralogical characterization revealed that DT tailings were mainly composed of quartz, pyrite, gypsum and silicates, whereas RAT tailings were mainly composed of quartz. The maximum solubilization of heavy and light REEs (HREEs and LREEs, respectively), Th and U reached 54%, 6%, 60% and 51% for RAT after 35 days at pH 2, T = 30 °C and pulp density = 10% (w/v). Higher extraction yields were obtained for DT, with 58% of HREEs, 14% of LREEs, 85% of Th and 89% of U solubilized under the same conditions. The use of Lewatit TP272 resin for the recovery of Sc (94%) and U (99%) followed by the Lewatit SP112 resin for the recovery of Th (57%) and REEs (81% LREEs and 65% HREEs) seemed a promising method for the co-extraction of the key elements from the bioleaching solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microorganisms in Rare Earth Elements Bioleaching)
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19 pages, 3016 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Three Approaches for Bioleaching of Rare Earth Elements from Bauxite
by Megan J. Barnett, Barbara Palumbo-Roe, Eimear A. Deady and Simon P. Gregory
Minerals 2020, 10(8), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10080649 - 22 Jul 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3801
Abstract
Approximately 300 million tonnes of bauxite are processed annually, primarily to extract alumina, and can contain moderate rare earth element (REE) concentrations, which are critical to a green energy future. Three bioleaching techniques (organic acid, reductive and oxidative) were tested on three karst [...] Read more.
Approximately 300 million tonnes of bauxite are processed annually, primarily to extract alumina, and can contain moderate rare earth element (REE) concentrations, which are critical to a green energy future. Three bioleaching techniques (organic acid, reductive and oxidative) were tested on three karst bauxites using either Aspergillus sp. (organic acid bioleaching) or Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (reductive and oxidative bioleaching). Recovery was highest in relation to middle REE (generally Nd to Gd), with maximum recovery of individual REE between 26.2% and 62.8%, depending on the bauxite sample. REE recovery occurred at low pH (generally < 3), as a result of organic acids produced by Aspergillus sp. or sulphuric acid present in A. ferrooxidans growth media. Acid production was seen when A. ferrooxidans was present. However, a clear increase in REE recovery in the presence of A. ferrooxidans (compared to the control) was only seen with one bauxite sample (clay-rich) and only under oxidative conditions. The complex and varied nature of REE-bearing minerals in bauxite provides multiple targets for bioleaching, and although the majority of recoverable REE can be leached by organic and inorganic acids, there is potential for enhanced recovery by bioleaching. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microorganisms in Rare Earth Elements Bioleaching)
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