Biosurfactants are surface active substances derived from living cells useful in a wide range of industrial application.
The development and use of fully biodegradable surfactants may ease this concern and enhance the further acceptance of this separation technology.
Microbial surfactants have several advantages over chemical surfactants such as lower toxicity, higher biodegradability and effectiveness at extreme temperatures or pH values
Dear Rudolp,
We are using surfactant for bioleach of Nickel ore.Recently one of our paper was accepted.It appears that successful commercialization of processes for biosurfactant depends largely on its product economics.
Dear Rudolph,
It is very intersting to know that you are working with a bioleaching ,biomineral processing group. We are also working on this filed and myself having more than 35 years of experience. Recently we are focusing on biosurfactants and its industrially application. Therefore it would be very much appriciable if we can share our ideas and colaborate on such kind of works.
The use of biosurfactants is slowly gaining importance in the field of mineral processing say for example bioflotation,leaching etc. Since biosurfactants are derived from living cells and their use is in very low concentrations, we hope the use of biosurfactants will find a new dimension in the field of mineral processing.
Biosurfactants are widely used in many industries such as food production,agriculture,cosmetics,pharmaceuticals and chemicals.In heavy metal polluted sites biosurfactants form compexes with metal at the soil interface.,which followed by desorption of the metal.& removal from soil surface.
Biosurfactants can be applied in entrapping trivalent chromium in micelles.The first process transforms the toxic state of chromium into less toxic state and the second process prevents the bacterial cells from chromium(III).
Mysurfactant paper on" Microbial extraction of nickel from chromite overburdens in
the presence of surfactant " has been published online in Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China 22(2012) 2840−2845.The effect of surfactant polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate (Tween-20) on the nickel bioleaching from pre-treated
chromite overburden (COB), Sukinda with fungal strain Aspergillus niger, was examined in shake flasks. Along with the nickel
recovery from COB by the fungal bioleaching, the effect of surfactant on the growth of the A. niger was also investigated. Results
show that the addition of surfactant in low concentration was favorable for the recovery of nickel from pre-treated COB. Normally,
the carbon source (sucrose) in the culture medium was utilized by the A. niger for its cellular metabolism and organic metabolites
(bio acids) were produced, which were responsible for the bioleaching of minerals. However, the addition of surfactant (Tween-20)
accelerated the rate of sucrose consumption by the fungi, and thus enhancing the extraction of nickel from pre-treated COB. During
the study, around 39% nickel extraction was achieved in A. niger mediated bioleaching performed at 2% pulp density of pre-treated
COB at 30 °C, in the presence of surfactant whereas only 24% nickel was extracted without surfactant.
Key words: nickel; surfactant; Tween-20; chromite overburden; Aspergillus niger; microbial extraction; bioleaching; cellular
metabolism; organic metabolite
The effect of surfactant o-phenylenediamine (OPD) on the bioleaching of marmatite with mixed cultures of Acidithiobacillusferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillusthiooxidans and Leptospirillumferrooxidans was studied.Analysis of the leached residues reveal that zinc was selectively leached over iron. The elemental sulfur produced from the leaching reaction was not completely oxidized and dissolved only partially even in the presence of bacteria, which limited the dissolution rate of marmatite. However, the addition of OPD accelerated the oxidation of elemental sulfur in the presence of bacteria, thus enhancing the bioleaching rate of marmatite
.It is found that the surfactants have promoting functions on bioleaching and TW20 is the best effective surfactant.The best effective concentration of TW20 is 0.005%.
The effects of two typical surfactants Tween-80 and sodium isobutyl-xanthate
(NaIBX) with different concentrations on the growth and sulfur-oxidizing activities of a new strain Acidtithiobacillus albertensis BY-05, one of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria have been studied.
Biosurfactants exhibit such important functionalities, they have not yet been employed widely in industrial processes because of relatively high production costs. One possible strategy for reducing costs is the application of renewable sources .Molasses, frying oil, soap-stocks, whey, refinery and potato-processing effluents are examples of alternative sources that have been suggested for biosurfactant production by microorganisms .
Surfactant(Tween-80) has-enhanced bioleaching of Cu and Zn from sewage sludge. The effect of Tween-80 on the sulfur oxidizing capacity of the bacteria was investigated. The dosage of Tween-80 in 0.5~8.0 g/L was favorable for the bio-oxidation of elemental sulfur. Sulfur oxidation , sludge acidification and dissolution rate of copper and zinc were enhanced.
Biosurfactants are going to be more common in mineral processing. Flotation and bioleaching technology have used biosurfactants for extraction of different minerals and metals such as chalcopyrite.
Biosurfactants are surface active substances derived from living cells useful in a wide range of industrial application.
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