Cyclic leaching process employing iron oxidizing bacteria

Claim 1

IN A CYCLIC PROCESS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF METALLIC CONSTITUENTS OF METALLURGICAL MATERIALS, WHEREIN THE METALLURGICAL MATERIAL IS SUBJECTED TO THE LEACHING ACTION OF A FERRIC SULFATE SULFURIC ACID LIXIVIANT SOLUTION, THE SPENT LIXIVIANT SOLUTION IS CONDUCTED TO A REGENERATION STAGE FOLLOWING EACH LEACH PERIOD, IS SUBJECTED TO AERATION IN SAID REGENERATION STAGE FOR PROMOTING CONVERSION OF FERROUS SULFATE TO THE FERRIC STATE, IS CONDUCTED FROM SAID REGENERATION STAGE BACK TO THE LEACHING STAGE FOR USE AS THE LIVIVIANT IN THE NEXT CYCLE OF THE PROCESS, AND THE DISSOLVED METALLIC CONSTITUENT OR CONSTITUENTS OF SAID METALLURGICAL MATERIAL IS SEPARATED FROM THE PREGNANT LIXIVIANT SOLUTION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING MAINTAINING WITHIN THE LIXIVIANT SOLUTION AN EFFECTIVE QUANTITY OF MOTILE, NONSPORE FORMING, OXIDIZING, AUTOTROPHIC, ROD BACTERIA, WHICH ARE TOLERANT TO THE METALLIC CONSTITUENT OR CONSTITUENTS TO BE EXTRACTED, WHEREBY REGENERATION OF SAID LIXIVIANT SOLUTION IN THE SAID REGENERATION STAGE WILL BE EXPEDITED.