Biologic coal beneficiation: Literature review: Final report
Several approaches to the biological beneficiation of coal have been suggested in the literature. The chemical similarity between coal, especially low-rank coal, and lignin suggest that lignin-degrading microorganisms, particularly white-rot fungi, could degrade coal by oxygen-requiring reactions. There are some indications that these processes can occur. Solubilization of coal by the action of white-rot fungi, such as Polyporus vesicolor has been reported. Bacterium such as Pseudomonas fluorescence appear capable of biodegrading coals including higher rank materials such as anthracite. Besides degrading coal, this bacterium was shown to produce extracellular protein that adsorbed to the surface of the coal particles. The adsorbed protein significantly reduced the surface tension of the coal, suggesting a potential role of this protein as a surfactant in coal slurrying. In coals containing finely dispersed pyrite, pyritic sulfur and, to a degree, organic sulfur can be removed by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans or Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, which oxidizes sulfur for energy production. Based on laboratory data, the biological, coal-desulfurization process appears to be cost-effective when compared to other chemical-desulfurization methods. This review reveals the general absence of data on coal degradation, enzyme production and characterization, and effects of coal substrate, nutritional requirements, on degradation rates. Screening of additional organisms for coal degrading activity or isolation and evaluation of cell-free-enzyme extracts as bioreagents for coal conversion appear to be areas which may be fruitful in the near term. Each of these issues must be addressed if progress in this new area of biotechnology is to continue. 76 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA); Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 6912621
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-AP-4834; ON: DE87004105
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COAL
BIOCONVERSION
BIODEGRADATION
DESULFURIZATION
FUNGI
LIGNIN
LIGNITE
MICROORGANISMS
OXIDATION
PYRITE
SURFACTANTS
THIOBACILLUS FERROXIDANS
BACILLUS
BACTERIA
BROWN COAL
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
MATERIALS
MINERALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR-OXIDIZING BACTERIA
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
090122* - Hydrocarbon Fuels- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass- (1976-1989)