Biolixiviação de cobre contido em placas de circuito impresso (pci) com micro-organismos mesófilos.

This work investigated the bioleaching of electronic waste, specifically printed circuit boards (PCB). The bio-assisted leaching was carried out with At. ferrooxidans in shake flasks in order to evaluate the influence of presence of microorganisms on the dissolution of metallic copper. The effects of the initial Fe2+ concentration and the presence of pyrite, as a source of iron, on copper dissolution were analyzed. The experiments were performed in an orbital shaker under the following conditions: 34°C, stirring speed of 150 min-1, particle size below 420μm and 0.5% solids percent (w/v). The results indicated high extraction, around 100%, and proved the feasibility of copper recovering from PCB through bioleaching.