Feasible bioprocessing technologies for low-grade iron ores

With increasing demand for steel and depletion of high-grade iron ore deposits, more research efforts are being directed toward extending the life of existing ore reserves and developing technology to treat low-grade iron ore resources. Among all the reported technologies, biotechnologies in mineral processing — specifically bioleaching and microbially induced flotation — have emerged to be considered as low-cost, environmentally friendly potential alternatives to many of the current mineral processing techniques. This paper provides a comprehensive review of current research on the use of microorganisms for iron ore beneficiation and, further, discusses the applicability of bioleaching, bioflotation and bioflocculation for the beneficiation of low-grade iron ores.