INNOVATIVE ECO-EFFICIENT BIOHYDROMETALLURGICAL PROCESSES FOR THE RECOVERY OF STRATEGIC AND RARE METALS FROM PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESOURCES

The conventional pyrometallurgical route for winning of metals is increasingly confronted with a number of challenges which include the necessity to exploit more complex and deeper deposits, arsenic containing deposits, increased demands to protect the environment, and to use less energy. Biohydrometallurgical processes have been shown to be a good alternative for the winning of metals from poor and complex ores