MUMBAI, India, March 13 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202641025417 A) filed by Dr. R. Nithyatharani; Dr. Deepa V H; Dr. G. Arun Kumar; Mrs. S. Amutha; Dr. Kongkana Goswami; Dr. N. Reehana; and Dr. Monika Soni, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, on March 3, for 'a novel acidophilic microbial consortium and process for bioleaching of valuable metals from electronic waste (e-waste).'
Inventor(s) include Dr. R. Nithyatharani; Dr. Deepa V H; Dr. G. Arun Kumar; Mrs. S. Amutha; Dr. Kongkana Goswami; Dr. N. Reehana; and Dr. Monika Soni.
The application for the patent was published on March 13, under issue no. 11/2026.
According to the abstract released by the Intellectual Property India: "The present invention discloses a novel acidophilic microbial consortium and an optimized bioleaching process for recovery of valuable metals from electronic waste. The consortium comprises synergistically interacting iron-oxidizing, sulfur-oxidizing, and metal-tolerant acidophilic microorganisms capable of sustained metabolic activity under highly acidic conditions and elevated metal concentrations. The process includes mechanical pre-treatment of electronic waste, inoculation with the consortium in an acidic medium, and controlled incubation in a bioreactor to facilitate oxidation and solubilization of base and precious metals. Dissolved metals are subsequently recovered using suitable downstream techniques such as solvent extraction and electrowinning. The invention provides an environmentally sustainable, energy-efficient, and scalable alternative to conventional metallurgical recovery methods."
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
