Bioleaching of Aluminum Slags with Thermophilic Bacteria
The recovery of metallic aluminum from the waste generated in the production of secondary aluminum by bioleaching process using the nutrient medium MKM was investigated. The development of this project was carried out due to the need to treat waste foundry which have a major impact on the environment, using environmentally friendly techniques, such as bioleaching. At work, bioleaching of smelting slag of aluminum generated in the laboratories of the Department of Metallurgy, Faculty of Chemistry, UNAM, was reported. Tests were conducted using thermophilic microorganisms at 70°C in an orbital incubator at natural pH, obtaining metallic clean aluminum, aluminum in solution and salts solution. The pH, bacterial growth and redox potential were monitored daily. We conclude that bioleaching of aluminum slags is feasible. The lack of information about the treatment of this type of industrial waste, makes this research is pioneer in this field.