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Abstract
The biooxidation of ferrous iron is a potential industrial process in the regeneration of ferric iron, in hydrometallurgical
leaching operations and in the removal of H 2 S in combustible gases. Another field of application is the treatment of acid
mine drainage water. The aim of this work was the design of a continuous reactor for a high efficiency ferrous iron
biooxidation capable of attaining the oxidation rates demanded by industrial processes for a minimum-sized reactor. Some
criteria of design come from the data of former studies.
The bioreactor consists of a 1249 mm high and 84 mm diameter column randomly packed with siliceous stone particles
with inlets for fresh medium and air at the bottom. The present work studies the influence of air and liquid flow rates on the
ferrous iron biooxidation in a flooded packed bed bioreactor. Starting from the data of this study, kinetics, and oxygen
concentration in the outlet gas, it was deduced that the biooxidation process was limited by the availability of oxygen in the
liquid medium. The free-swimming cells concentration was measured in the outlet solution for different operating
conditions. It was observed that once the biofilm has been formed, a variation in the liquid flow rate does not alter the
biomass attached to the packing. The highest ferric productivity attained was 11.25 grL P h. q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.
All rights reserved.
1. Introduction v
the removal of hydrogen–sulphide in combustible
gases w3x:
™
Biooxidation of ferrous iron Ž2Fe 2qq 1r2O 2 q
2Hq 2Fe 3qq H 2 O. by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans
is a potential industrial process in the regeneration of
2Fe 3qq SH 2 ™ 2Fe 2q
q S8 q 2Hq.
0169-4332r00r$ - see front matter q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 3 0 4 - 3 8 6 X Ž 0 0 . 0 0 1 4 1 - 9
270 A. Mazuelos et al.r Hydrometallurgy 58 (2000) 269–275
v
Continuous recycling: once the last step was
finished, continuous recycling flow mode of opera-
tion was initiated. Ten liters of fresh ferrous iron
solution was fed in at the column. The liquid flow
rate was 450 mLrh, and the air flow rate was 500
mLrmin. After 54 h, 95% conversion of ferrous iron
was achieved. Then, another volume of fresh medium
Ž10 L. was fed into the column, and 100% conver-
sion of ferrous iron was achieved after 38 h.
The biofilm formation was then considered to be
complete, and the reactor could operate in continu-
ous flow mode.
K 2 Cr2 O 7 . Copper concentration was determined by the air bubble diameters increased, by coalescence,
atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Oxygen con- as they move up through the bed. The mean air
centration in the outlet gas stream was monitored bubble diameter was 0.39 mm in zero floor and 2.8
with a gas analyser. The number of bacteria per mm in third floor. Therefore, the ferric productivity
milliliter was determined by visual count using a depends strongly on the gas–liquid interfacial area,
Thoma camera with an optical microscope. and so, gas–liquid mass transfer dominates.
The RTD was experimentally studied for different
air and liquid flow rates. Fig. 3 shows the corre-
sponding RTD functions. Apparently, significant de-
4. Results and discussion viations from plug–flow behaviour are observed.
There are some regions of apparent back-mixing, as
evidenced by the exponential-decay shape of the
4.1. The influence of liquid and air flow rates on the
curves. The large spikes indicate channeling. The
ferrous iron biooxidation
bioreactor can be modelled as equal size continuous
stirred tank reactors in series. The number of tanks in
Table 1 shows the ferric iron productivity in each series Ž N . is determined by calculating the dimen-
floor for different air and liquid flow rates. Fig. 2 sionless variance Ž su 2 . according to the following
shows the total system ferric productivity. Air flow equation:
rate has a noticeable effect on ferric iron productiv-
ity, which increased as the air flow rate increased. In
all cases, oxygen concentration in the gas outlet 1 t2
stream was higher than 18%. It can be postulated Ns s
su 2 s2
that the biooxidation process was limited by the
availability of oxygen in the liquid medium. On the
other hand, the ferric iron productivity of the first where t is the mean residence time and s 2 is the
floor was always the highest. It was observed that variance. Table 2 shows the parameters used to
Table 1
The ferric productivity in each floor Žprod., free-swimming cells Ž c c ., the number of swimming cells per hour Ž Nc ., and ferrous iron
concentration Ž c Fe . in the outlet solution, for different air and liquid flow rates
Liquid flow Air flow prod 0 prod 1 prod 2 prod 3 cc Nc c Fe
rate ŽLrh. rate ŽLrmin. Žgrh. Žgrh. Žgrh. Žgrh. Žbact = 10 9 rL. Žbact = 10 9 rh. ŽgrL.
2.036 0.508 0.98 5.31 3.48 1.71 18.6 37.9 2.23
2.027 0.771 1.14 6.12 4.18 1.86 21.8 44.2 1.34
2.059 0.888 1.17 6.77 4.45 2.29 23.4 48.2 0.76
2.073 1.084 1.22 7.71 4.95 2.51 77.6 160.9 0.18
2.374 1.095 1.14 7.31 4.89 2.90 16.0 38.0 1.24
2.389 1.283 1.22 7.81 5.06 3.15 26.6 63.6 0.55
2.865 1.283 1.38 6.47 4.76 2.81 16.6 47.6 2.84
2.853 1.392 1.28 6.82 4.94 3.00 – 2.49
2.845 1.572 1.45 7.00 5.15 3.07 16.3 46.4 2.18
2.844 1.775 1.39 7.74 5.43 3.36 – 1.84
2.812 1.969 1.46 7.90 5.68 3.49 13.2 37.1 1.46
2.802 2.216 1.57 8.21 5.94 3.56 – 1.11
2.816 2.390 1.75 7.91 6.14 3.60 14.8 41.8 1.22
2.822 2.648 1.78 7.79 6.46 3.81 – 1.07
2.856 2.831 1.69 7.91 6.43 3.83 – 1.05
2.818 3.015 1.78 7.69 6.51 3.92 – 1.05
A. Mazuelos et al.r Hydrometallurgy 58 (2000) 269–275 273
Fig. 2. Total system ferric productivity for different air and liquid flow rates.
characterize the RTD for each operating condition long time Žthe tail of the curve. decreases, i.e.,
studied. As the number of reactors increases, the back-mixing effect decreases. Since the back-mixing
reactor hydrodynamic behaviour approaches plug– effect can be considered as an additional contribution
flow. Therefore, as either the air or the liquid flow of oxygen to the biooxidation process, this could
rates increases, deviations from plug–flow model explain the decrease of ferric productivity when the
behaviour decrease. It is observed that as the liquid liquid flow rate increases ŽTable 1.. If back-mixing
flow rate increases, the portion of the RTD curve at decreases, the probability that liquid globules from
Fig. 3. RTD curves for different air and liquid flow rates: A Žliquid: 2.8 Lrh, air: 3.015 Lrmin., B Žliquid: 2.8 Lrh, air: 1.987 Lrmin., C
Žliquid: 2.8 Lrh, air: 0.995 Lrmin., D Žliquid: 2.40 Lrh, air: 0.995 Lrmin., E Žliquid: 1.97 Lrh, air: 0.995 Lrmin..
274 A. Mazuelos et al.r Hydrometallurgy 58 (2000) 269–275
flow rate, respectively.. This productivity is equiva- w2x N. Iglesias, I. Palencia, F. Carranza, IBES process: descrip-
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