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The bioleaching of two different genetic types of chalcopyrite by the moderate thermophile Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans
was investigated by leaching behaviors elucidation and their comparative mineralogical assessment. The leaching experiment
showed that the skarn-type chalcopyrite (STC) revealed a much faster leaching rate with 33.34% copper extracted finally, while
only 23.53% copper was bioleached for the porphyry-type chalcopyrite (PTC). The mineralogical properties were analyzed by
XRD, SEM, XPS, and Fermi energy calculation. XRD indicated that the unit cell volume of STC was a little larger than that of
PTC. SEM indicated that the surface of STC had more steps and ridges. XPS spectra showed that Cu(I) was the dominant species
of copper on the surfaces of the two chalcopyrite samples, and STC had much more copper with lower Cu 2p3/2 binding energy.
Additionally, the Fermi energy of STC was much higher than that of PTC. These mineralogical differences were in good
agreement with the bioleaching behaviors of chalcopyrite. This study will provide some new information for evaluating the
oxidation kinetics of chalcopyrite.