International Science Community Association Research Journal of Recent Sciences 2277 - 2502 1 10 2012 October 2 Biohydrometallurgy and Biomineral Processing Technology: A Review on its Past, Present and Future 85 99 EN Espinoza E. 1 Instituto de Investigaciones Metalurgicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Ciudad Universitaria Edificio ”U”, Apartado Escudero R. 2 postal 888, C.P. 58000, Morelia, Michoacán, MÉXICO Tavera F.J. 3 PranavC. Atre 1 School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University, Vellore-632014, Tamilnadu, INDIA ThundilKaruppaRaj R. 2 Mehrdad Zarenejad 1 Department of Economic, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, IRAN Rodrigues L.L.R. 1 Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal 576 104, Karnataka, INDIA Kantharaj A.N. 2 Department of Automobile and Aeronautical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal 576 104, Karnataka, INDIA Kantharaj B. 3 Freitas W.R.C. 4 Murthy B.R.N. 5 Serban C. 1 Faculty of Marketing, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, ROMANIA Iconaru C. 2 Macovei O.I. 3 Perju A. 4 Kumar Anil 1 Department of Physics, P.L.J.L. Rastogi Inter College, Moradabad 244 001, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA ChauhanRekhaRan RekhaRani 2 Department of Botany, K.G.K. College, Moradabad-244001, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA Kumar Pradeep 3 Department of Physics, K G K College, Moradabad 244001, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA S. Anbarasu 1 Department of Physics, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai – 627002, INDIA DevarajanPrem Anand 2 SheikhKashif Raffat 1 Department of CS and IT, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences and Technology, Karachi, PAKISTAN Mohd.Shahab Siddiqui 2 HIIT, FEST, Hamdard University, Karachi, PAKISTAN Mohd. Siddiq 3 National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Karachi, PAKISTAN Shaikh ZubairA. 4 FEST, Hamdard University, Karachi, PAKISTAN AbdulRahman Memon 5 Dubey SharmaRuchi 1 Department of Chemistry BUIT, Barkatullah University Bhopal, MP, INDIA Joshi Smita 2 Department of Chemistry, Sarojini Naidu Govt. Girls PG College, Bhopal, MP, INDIA Amlathe Sulbha 3 Department of Chemistry BUIT, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, MP, INDIA NageswaraRao. T. 1 Department of Engineering Chemistry, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, AP, INDIA Raghubabu K. 2 SV University, Tirupathi, AP, INDIA D. Sreenivasulu 3 Department of Engineering Chemistry, GITAM University, Hyderabad, AP, INDIA Patrudu T.B. 4 Rane Rajashree 1 Piramal Health Care Ltd., Goregaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra, INDIA Patil Sushma 2 Gangolli Divya 3 Ingawale Kanchan 4 Mahmoud Shariati 1 Fatigue and Fracture Research Laboratory, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, IRAN Ali Dadrasi 2 Department of Mechanics, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, IRAN Jana Adarsa 1 Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721302, West Bengal, INDIA Shamina Sheena 2 Biswas Arkoprovo 3 Kumar DwivediUttam 1 Govt. Engineering College, Rewa–486 001, MP, INDIA Gahan ChandraSekhar 1 Mineral Resource Research Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350, REPUBLIC OF KOREA Haragobinda Srichandan 2 SRM Research Institute, SRM University, Kattankulathur - 603 203, Kancheepuram district, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA -JinKim Dong 3 Department of Mining Engineering, Mineral Processing Division, Suleyman Demirel University, TR32260, Isparta, TURKEY Ata Akcil 4 > Review Paper 2012 9 6 2012 October 2 The Microbial hydrometallurgy and microbial mineral processing of metal sulphides is currently a well established technology. Over past years there has been a huge amount of developments with regards to the understanding of its both engineering perspective as well as fundamental approach with regards to the microorganisms. The huge diversity of the microorganisms, which has come into picture over the years of research and development have made the engineers to go beyond several limitations of working temperature to salt tolerance of the microorganisms in harsh conditions to deliver better technologies for the future operative plants. Today scientists have been able to deliver the various mechanisms involved in bioleaching but still there are facets to be really understood and more importantly on the front how lab scale research can be turned out into full scale operation by scaling up the research and optimizing the engineering aspects of the research. Most of the bioleaching operation has shown their productivity in commercial application of refractory gold concentrates using mesophilic microorganisms followed by the cyanide leaching to recover optimum amount of gold with an environment friendly method compared to the conventional method of roasting. Research in the area of chalcopyrite bioleaching is still continuing o solve the mysteries of jarosite precipitation and formation of passivation layer, which inhibits the copper recovery in a heap leaching of chalcopyrite by biological methods. Use of extreme thermophiles in chalcopyrite bioleaching is making a revolutionary movement to solve the mystery behind the scaling up the process, which could be possible to be solved in future. Bioleaching with other sulphide minerals together with Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) mitigation, which is a serious concern today, is taking is taking shape today in order to cater the needs of the mankind. However the biohydrometallurgy research seems to contribute to a greater extent in framing environmental friendly process with regards to hydrometallurgical operations in future and establish a developed technology to benefit human beings needs by its upcoming research and development. Copyright@ International Science Community Association