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).
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?