Bioleaching of lithium from jadarite, spodumene, and lepidolite using <i>Acidiothiobacillus ferrooxidans</i>.

ABSTRACT: Lithium (Li) is becoming increasingly important due to its use in clean technologies that are required for the transition to net zero. Although acidophilic bioleaching has been used to recover metals from a wide range of deposits, its potential to recover Li has not yet been fully explored. In this study, we used a model Fe(II)- and S-oxidising bacterium, Acidiothiobacillus ferrooxidans (At. Ferrooxidans), to extract Li from three different minerals and kinetic modelling to predict the dominant reaction pathways for Li release. Bioleaching of Li from the aluminosilicate minerals lepidolite (K(Li,Al)₃(Al,Si,Rb)₄O₁₀(F,OH)₂) and spodumene (LiAl(Si₂O₆)) was slow, with only up to 14% (approximately 12 mg/L) of Li released

SUBMITTER: Kirk RD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11622194 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature