Serial biological conversion of coal to liquid fuels: Project status report No. 1-2, December 15, 1987-March 15, 1988

Technical Report · Tue Mar 15 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5179459

The objective of this research is to isolate and enrich cultures of microorganisms to convert coal into low molecular weight liquid fuels. Natural inocula and pure cultures will be screened to find the best organisms for the second stage conversion. Serial conversion will be conducted in laboratory reactors to define stoichiometry, yields, reaction rates, and other engineering parameters to demonstrate technical feasibility. The development of a promising bacterial stain that liquefies low or high rank coals without pretreatment will continue. Experiments have been conducted to determine the feasibility of serial bioliquefaction utilizing mixed sewage sludge or animal waste inocula and bioextract from S. setonii. Only small quantities of alcohols and acids were produced using an 80% sewage sludge, 20% lignite liquid inoculum after one transfer. However, ethanol levels of nearly 0.4 g/l and acetic levels of 0.9 g/l were obtained with a 67% lignite liguid, 33% sewage sludge inoculum. A bacterial culture has been isolated from the surface of Arkansas lignite that is capable of solubilizing coal to the water-soluble bioextract. Parameters affecting the growth of this organism and the extent of solubilization were determined. On the second step of serial biological conversion of coal to liquid fuels, a few important parameters have been changed. The concentration of solubilized lignite in the cultures was 0.03% compared to the 0.15% lignite which was inhibitory in previous cultures. Media pH in this series of cultures was 7.0. New sources of natural inocula, cow and sheep rumen, were used. Cow rumen has been used as natural inocula. It is considered a good source of bacteria capable of breaking down lignite compounds. 6 refs., 14 figs., 30 tabs.

• Research Organization: Arkansas Univ., Fayetteville (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-87PC79937
• OSTI ID: 5179459
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/79937-T2; ON: DE88009625
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010405* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Hydrogenation & Liquefaction
550700 -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ABSORPTION
ACETIC ACID
ALCOHOLS
ANIMALS
BACTERIA
BIOCONVERSION
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATTLE
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COAL
COAL LIQUEFACTION
COWS
CULTURE MEDIA
DOCUMENT TYPES
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ENERGY SOURCES
ETHANOL
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GROWTH
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INOCULATION
LIGNITE
LIQUEFACTION
LIQUID FUELS
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
NUTRIENTS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PRODUCTION
PROGRESS REPORT
RUMINANTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SHEEP
SLUDGES
SOLUBILITY
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
YIELDS