Аннотации:
Coal mining waste rock dumps contain a lot of rare and precious microelements and are a single complex
mechanism of the chemical and biochemical transformations of substances, and the key role in such transformations
belongs to sulfuric acid formed as a result of the vital functions of thionic bacteria Th. Ferrooxidans. The aim
of the present work was to develop an environmentally friendly biotechnology for processing coal mining waste
rock dumps of the Luhansk Region as man-made metal deposits. The spectral analysis of the waste rocks of the
Luhansk Region revealed high concentrations of precious, rare-earth, and trace elements. A high prevalence of
gallium and germanium clarkes was found, and their actual concentration in the waste was close to the minimum
industrial concentration. The results of chemical analysis of the waste rock for Al2O3 showed that its concentration
was close to that in poor bauxites, a traditional raw material for alumina. A method and technology of the
biochemical leaching of aluminum, gallium, and germanium, which make use of the natural processes of sulfuric
acid formation in waste rock were proposed, and their efficiency was experimentally confirmed. The proposed
biochemical technology for the processing of coal mining waste rocks can serve as the basic method for diminishing
their environmental impact and rational use of natural resources.
