Microbial sweetening of sour natural gas using mixed cultures
- Texas A&M Univ., Kingsville, TX (United States)
About twenty-five percent of natural gas produced in the United States is sour containing significant volumes of hydrogen sulfide. Liquid redox processes remove hydrogen sulfide from natural gas. Aqueous solution of chelated ferric ions oxidize the hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur. The reduced iron chelate is then oxidized by contact with air and recycled. This requires expensive equipment for regeneration and the process is usually energy intensive. A microbial process for regeneration of chelated ferric ions may offer an economical alternative to commercial liquid redox processes. The present study investigates the use of a mixed culture of iron oxidizing bacteria to regenerate commercial iron chelate catalysts. The objective of this study is to quantify an increase in the biologically enhanced redox solution reoxidation rates. It was observed that the presence of bacterial cultures enhance the reoxidation rates and sulfur removal significantly. The proprietary mixed cultures of iron oxidizing bacteria used in this study derive the energy required for their growth from the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds and form the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) ions in presence of air. 21 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 391052
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Progress, Vol. 15, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: Spr 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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