Enzymatic desulfurization of coal

Technical Report · Tue Nov 07 00:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5925360· OSTI ID:5925360

Boyer, Y N; Crooker, S C; Kitchell, J P; Nochur, S V ^[1]; Marquis, J K ^[2]

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1. DynaGen, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Boston Univ., MA (United States). School of Medicine

Our experimental approach focuses on the use of enzymes which catalyze the addition of oxygen to organic compounds. In tailoring the application of these enzymes to coal processing, we are particularly interested in ensuring that oxidation occurs at sulfur and not at carbon-carbon bonds. Previous studies with DBT have shown that the reaction most frequently observed in microbial oxidative pathways is one in which DBT is oxidized at ring carbons. These reactions, as we have said, are accompanied by a considerable decrease in the energy content of the compound. In addition, microbial pathways have been identified in which the sulfur atom is sequentially oxidized to sulfoxide, to sulfone, to sulfonate, and finally to sulfuric acid. In this case, the fuel value of the desulfurized compounds is largely retained. We are evaluating the potential of commercially available enzymes to selectively catalyze oxidation at sulfur.

• Research Organization: DynaGen, Inc., Cambridge, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-88PC88855
• OSTI ID: 5925360
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/88855-T7; ON: DE92006537
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
COAL
DESULFURIZATION
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
BIODEGRADATION
SULFIDES
ACETATES
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BUFFERS
CULTURE MEDIA
ENZYMES
ETHERS
MICROORGANISMS
NITRILES
PEROXIDASES
PROGRESS REPORT
SULFONES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
KINETICS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PROTEINS
REACTION KINETICS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
010402* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Purification & Upgrading
550700 - Microbiology