Alternative methods of seperating metals: Flashcards
1
Q
What does low-grade ores mean?
A
= small amounts of the metal.
= hard to extract metal economically.
2
Q
What does a metal ore contain?
A
= enough metal to make it economical to extract the metal.
3
Q
What is phytomining?
A
= plants are grown on land containing the metal we want
= plants absorb the metal compound and concentrate it into their tissue
= harvested and burnt
= ash contains high concentration of the metal compound
4
Q
What is bioleaching?
A
= bacteria are mixed with low grade ore
= bacteria carry out chemical reactions to produce a solution called leachate
= contains metal compound we want
5
Q
What do both of these methods allow?
A
= economically extract metals from low grade ore- important as it is limited
= does not involve digging, transporting and disposal.
