During this third stage, the raw materials will undergo a treatment to isolate selected CRMs and obtain the most efficient bioleaching process.
Bioleaching is a sustainable extraction process of metals from the samples through the use of living organisms that are able to produce a bioleachate, a solution containing the target metals in the desired chemical species. Various living organisms considered most appropriate to release the selected metals will be tested and evaluated. Further, based on the results of previous characterisation, conditioning and pre-treatment stages (steps 1 & 2), BIORECOVER expects to design the most efficient process to obtain the bioleachate with high recovery, selectivity and purity rates. This biotechnological step in the mobilisation of target CRMs is key to achieving the project’s goal of a 90% extraction rate.
