A greener approach for resource recycling: Manganese bioleaching.

In view of unremitting diminution of mineral resources, rising energy economics along with increasing global consumption of Manganese (Mn), development of environment friendly technologies for tapping alternate sources of Mn has gained importance lately. Mn recovery from mining residues using conventional approaches is extremely expensive due to high capital and energy costs involved. However lean grade ores present in millions of tons awaits the development of competent and cost effective extractive process. Mn recovery by biomining with diverse microbes is thereby recommended as a superior and green alternative to the current pyro metallurgical techniques. The synergistic effects of different factors are known to influence microbial leaching of mineral ores which includes microbiological, mineralogical, physicochemical and process parameters. Bacterial bioleaching is mostly due to enzymatic influence, however fungal bioleaching is non enzymatic. Genomic studies on microbial diversity and an insight of its metabolic pathways provides unique dimension to the mechanism of biomining microorganisms. The extraction of Mn has a massive future prospective and will play a remarkable role in altering the situation of ever-decreasing grades of ore. This review aims to encompass the different aspects of Mn bioleaching, the plethora of organisms involved, the mechanisms driving the process and the recent trends and future prospects of this green technology.

Experimental design and process analysis for acidic leaching of metal-rich glass wastes.

The removal of iron, titanium and aluminium from colourless and green waste glasses has been studied under various experimental conditions in order to optimize the process parameters and to decrease the metal content in the waste glass by acidic leaching. Statistical design of experiments and ANOVA (analysis of variance) were performed in order to determine the main effects and interactions between the investigated factors (sample ratio, acid concentration, temperature and leaching time). A full factorial experiment was performed by sulphuric acid leaching of glass for metal removal. After treating, the iron content was 530 ppm, corresponding to 1880 ppm initial concentration of Fe(2)O(3) in the original colourless sample. This result is achieved using 1M H(2)SO( 4) and 30% sample ratio at 90(o)C leaching temperature for 2 hours. The iron content in the green waste glass sample was reduced from 3350 ppm initial concentration to 2470 ppm after treating.