Bioprocessing of lignite coals using reductive microorganisms

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5632888· OSTI ID:5632888

Crawford, D. L.

A major goal of this project is to isolate unique microbial strains that catalyze a variety of biochemical transformations of low molecular weight coal substructure model compounds and then to determine if these strains will carry out similar reactions with coal. We have several enrichments underway using suitable model compounds such as pyrogallol (2,3-dihydroxyphenol) and gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) to isolate organisms that reductively dehydroxylate phenolic hydroxyl groups. We are also using various naphthoquinone and antrhaquinone dyes as substrates in isolation procedures. The most promising results so far are with hydroxynaphthoquinone. The purple non-sulfur bacteria belonging to the genus Rhodobacter are also of interest to us because some of them degrade numerous aromatic compounds by way of reductive pathways. In addition, Rhodobacter species are not sensitive to air. Thus far, enrichment cultures with benzoate have yielded two isolates. Lowering the carboxyl content of lignite coal has been suggested as one means of improving its fuel value. We have isolated a bacterium from soil, tentatively identified as a Bacillus species, that nonoxidatively decarboxylates vanillic acid to guaicol. This bacterium also decarboxylated p-hydroxycinnimates to p-hydroxystyrenes. We are now attempting to get measurable decarboxylation of base-solubilized Vermont lignite coal using this organism. 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Idaho Univ., Moscow, ID (USA). Dept. of Bacteriology and Biochemistry
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/FE
• DOE Contract Number: FG22-88PC88919
• OSTI ID: 5632888
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/88919-T2; ON: DE90001082
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
LIGNITE
BIOCONVERSION
PHENOLS
REDUCTION
QUINONES
BACTERIA
CULTURE MEDIA
DECARBOXYLATION
DEPOLYMERIZATION
GALLIC ACID
PROGRESS REPORT
AROMATICS
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
DECOMPOSITION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROXY ACIDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
010405* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
550700 - Microbiology