Isolation of native extremophiles from indian bauxite and red mud for mineral beneficiation

Different methods of utilizing refractory bauxite and disposing red mud are practiced throughout the
world, but none of them are known to be environmentally innocuous due to the complexity and /or high
cost, and none has been found to be feasible on an industrial scale. Under these conditions, the use
of bioleaching process seems promising. The present study emphasizes on the isolation of native
extremophiles from the source Indian bauxite and red mud, with their detailed cellular and physio-
chemical, and biochemical characterization. These organisms were tested for their ability to thrive in
physically or geochemically extreme conditions. The gram positive capsule rich mesophiles and
thermophiles were tested for removal of gangue minerals from the bauxite and red mud samples.