3D printed biofilm carrier-assisted bioleaching for the removal of impurities from rare earth ore / Muhammad Nabil Farhaan Bin Zulkipeli

Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology

Final Year Report (Bachelor of Chemical Engineering Technology) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah - 2025

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Bioleaching is a leaching method that is both environmentally friendly and commercially viable for recovering valuable metals from low-grade ores and mining waste. Bioleaching relies on the activity of microorganisms, such as bacteria and archaea, to solubilize and mobilize metals from ores and concentrates. These microbes release organic acids and other metabolites that selectively dissolve target metals, allowing them to be recovered. This method has various advantages over standard chemical leaching procedures, including lower energy usage, less environmental effect, and higher metal recovery rates. The applications of bioleaching are diverse and expanding. It is often used to extract metals such as copper, gold, and uranium from previously uneconomical ores. It is also used in the treatment of mining waste materials such as tailings and electronic waste to recover valuable metals while reducing the environmental impact of these items. Furthermore, bioleaching has shown potential in polluted environment cleanup, where microorganisms can be tailored to extract or detoxify heavy metals and other toxins. In recent years, research efforts have concentrated on optimizing bioleaching methods, enhancing microorganism adaptation to diverse ores, and developing novel biotechnological solutions for metal recovery. These breakthroughs have the potential to transform the mining sector by making it more sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. To sum up, bioleaching offers a potential way to recover metals and remove impurities while reducing the environmental impact of mining operations.