To investigate the influence of orientation of crystal lattice on the
bacterial leaching of pyrite crystals, single crystals of 100, 111 and
110 plane orientations were used for the study. Experiments were
carried out in the presence of a
Thiobacillus ferrooxidans
culture.
The different corrosion patterns observed on the surfaces of the
bioleached samples suggests a variation in cell-surface interaction
from one crystal plane to the other. The surface corrosion patterns
generally reflected the influence of the symmetrical arrangement of
the atomic planes in the lattice on which they formed. The results
indicate that the surface properties of mineral sulphides may control
the evolution of corrosion patterns and consequently the initial
oxidation process in acid bacterial leaching.