Effectiveness of biohydrometallurgy for sustainable development in the African minerals industry: a case study with a low grade ore from Nigeria

Abstract

The effectiveness of the application of biohydrometallurgical processes in the sustainable development of the minerals industry is discussed with specific reference to the Nigerian minerals industry. The state of the Nigerian minerals industry is evaluated. Assessment of available processing and recovering routes is made, and the influencing factors for the adoption of the biohydrometallurgical processing approach are reviewed. A case study of the biohydrometallurgical processing of a bulk complex sulphide ore from Ishiagu, in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, is presented. Results showed that a biohydrometallurgical approach is suitable and effective for processing the ore and can therefore be considered, applied and adopted to processing of other ore deposits from Africa.

Keywords

SUSTAINABILITY MINERALS INDUSTRY BIOHYDROMETALLURGY

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