Abstract

• In this study, acid leaching and bioleaching of iron pyrite ore collected from Sakhangyi gold mining site, Moehti Moemi mining area, Yamethin Township, Mandalay Region were conducted. In acid leaching of iron pyrite ore from Sakhangyi (SKG) gold mining site, aqua regia and di- isobutyl ketone have been used as extraction solvents. In bioleaching process, a bioleaching bacterium, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was used. A. ferrooxidans was cultured on selected 9 K medium. Leaching of iron pyrite ore sample was done under different leaching parameters (time, pH, ore size and temperature). The leachant has been characterized by atomic absorption spectroscopy. According to acid leaching of iron pyrite ore, Au content of iron pyrite ore was 1.2 ppm, after extracting with DIBK (AAS). The optimum conditions for bioleaching process using A. ferrooxidans were found to be 1.5 of pH, 90 ᵒC, 250 µm ore size after 6 days bioleaching time to get the highest gold content (6.25 ppm).