| abstract |
A method leaches metal sulphide ores to form a metal-bearing material. Sulfide ores, such as copper or gold ores, are contacted with a leaching solution containing industrial enzymes comprising cupredoxins such as amicyanin, plastocyanin, pseudoazurin, plantacyanin, azurin, auracyanin, rusticyanin, stellacyanin, and mavicyanin and combinations thereof as a bioleach agent. The recovered pregnant slurry or solution contains metal values which are recovered in a subsequent downstream step. |