Economic and environmental niches of biohydrometallurgy
| Autor: | R. Poulin, R.W. Lawrence |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1996 |
| Předmět: |
Commercial scale
Engineering Waste management business.industry Biohydrometallurgy Process (engineering) Mechanical Engineering Scale (chemistry) Financial risk General Chemistry Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology Mineral economics Environmentally friendly Economic advantage Control and Systems Engineering Biochemical engineering business |
| Zdroj: | Minerals Engineering. 9:799-810 |
| ISSN: | 0892-6875 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/0892-6875(96)00073-8 |
| Popis: | Numerous processes co-exist for metal extraction and for metal removal from effluents of mining operations. Each process enjoys an economic advantage, including environmental cost and benefit, if utilized in a specific situation. This applies equally to biohydrometallurgical processes. This paper will analyze four types of biohydrometallurgical processes for their economic and environmental attributes: biooxidation of refractory gold, extraction of copper from sulfide, metal removal from effluents by active sulfate reduction, and metal removal by the use of wetlands. By examining the economic and environmental advantages of these processes, generalizations can formalized and it becomes possible to define niches of application where biohydrometallurgy can be considered. Our analysis shows that biohydrometallurgy can be efficient at small scale, be more environmentally friendly than conventional technologies and is relatively easier to operate. The higher financial risk associated with unproven technologies at the commercial scale is being eliminated as biotechnology-based plants are put into production. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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