Microbial oxidation of hydrogen sulfide in a pilot-scale bubble column

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Biotechnology Progress

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/bp00030a005· OSTI ID:598197

Sublette, K L; Hesketh, R P; Hasan, S ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Tulsa, OK (United States)

Thiobacillus denitrificans is a chemoautotroph and a facultatively anaerobic bacterium that can use reduced sulfur compounds as energy sources with oxidation to sulfate. Under anoxic conditions, nitrate may serve as a terminal electron acceptor with reduction to elemental nitrogen. T. denitrificans has previously been shown to remove hydrogen sulfide from sour gases under both aerobic and anoxic conditions. Hydrogen sulfide concentrations were reduced from 10,000 ppmv to undetectable levels with 1-2 s of gas-liquid contact time in bench-scale fermentors. The oxidation product, sulfate, accumulated in the liquid phase of the culture medium. Flocculated T. denitrificans has now been used to remove hydrogen sulfide (up to 1500 ppmv) from a sour gas in a 0.5-m{sup 3} pilot-scale bubble column. The bubble column was operated for 7 weeks under aerobic conditions, with gas feeds of air and hydrogen sulfide in nitrogen. Up to 97% removal of hydrogen sulfide was observed with complete oxidation to sulfate, which accumulated in the reactor medium. Limitations in H{sub 2}S removal were due to mass transfer and not the microbiology of the system. More complete H{sub 2}S removal can be accomplished by increasing gas-liquid contact in a single reactor or using two bubble columns in series. 10 refs., 5 figs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 598197
• Journal Information: Biotechnology Progress, Journal Name: Biotechnology Progress Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 10; ISSN BIPRET; ISSN 8756-7938
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
40 CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
AUTOTROPHS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
DESULFURIZATION
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY SOURCES
FERMENTATION
FLOCCULATION
GASES
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
MASS TRANSFER
OXIDATION
REDOX REACTIONS
REDUCTION
REMOVAL
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR-OXIDIZING BACTERIA