Mineral transformations

From BioMineWiki

Metal transformations may be purely chemical or classified as biochemical when microbes are catalyzing some of the reactions.

Between solid and liquid phase

• Solid metal bearing materials may be dissolved by metal mobilization processes (Figure 1a).
• Metal ions in solution can turn into solid metal bearing material by metal immobilization processes (Figure 1c).

Within the aqueous phase by ions changing oxidation state

• Depending on the redox potential in solution metals may change from one oxidation state to another. A change in oxidation state can under certain conditions lead to precipitation and in other cases to dissolution of a metal or a metal compound. Changes in oxidation state can also occur within an aqueous phase (Figure 1b).

Figure 1. Metal transformations between different phases:
a) Solid to liquid phase
b) Liquid to liquid phase
c) Liquid to solid phase

May be enhanced by microbes

Natural processes

• Microbial weathering of rocks
• Soil and sediment formation and transformation
• The genesis and degradation of minerals

Biohydrometallurgy and supporting technologies

Environmental problems

• Acid rock drainage (ARD) including acid mine drainage (AMD)
• Microbially influenced corrosion

One application is to minimize microbial activity to avoid acid rock generation and microbial corrosion.

Which of the enumerated transformations are metal mobilizations, immobilizations or state transformations?