Dynamic corrosion of copper-nickel sulfide by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans
(School of Materials and Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004, China)
Abstract: The dynamic corrosion process of bio-oxidation of copper-nickel sulfide from Karatungk in northern Xinjiang Province of China was studied. The polished wafer of the copper-nickel sulphide was used to carry on a series of oxidation corrosion experiment by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The changes of superficial corrosion appearance and the mineral dynamic corrosion process were discovered by microscope observation. Then, the galvanic cell model was established, and the bio-oxidation activation order of typical copper-nickel sulphide minerals was ascertained as pyrrhotite＞pentlandite＞chalocopyrite.
Key words: copper-nickel sulphide; bio-oxidation; dynamic corrosion; galvanic effect