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Coal desulfurization through reverse micelle biocatalysis process

Conference · · Prepr. Pap., Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5969928
A novel bioprocess using micelle biocatalysis has been attempted to minimize several disadvantages of conventional microbial coal desulfurization scale-up processes. The reverse micelle biocatalysis process consists of a water-immiscible organic medium, a surfactant, an aqueous phase and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria or enzymes. This process has been successful for removing sulfur from bituminous coal (Illinois coal 5). The preliminary results showed that coal desulfurization through the use of cell-free enzyme extracts of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 19859 was better than that of bacteria itself. The use of enzymes has shown potential for commercial coal desulfurization process as well. This same process is being applied to the thermophillic bacteria Sulfolobus acidocaldarius ATCC 33909. The implications of these experimental results are discussed, including a hypothetical mechanism using reverse micelle biocatalytical process for coal desulfurization.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA)
OSTI ID:
5969928
Report Number(s):
CONF-8809269-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Prepr. Pap., Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem.; (United States) Journal Volume: 33:4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English