Kinetics of the removal of iron pyrite from coal by microbial catalysis

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6162637

Hoffmann, M R ^[1]; Faust, B C; Panda, F A; Koo, H H; Tsuchiya, H M

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1. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena

Different strains of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans were used to catalyze the oxidative dissolution of iron pyrite, FeS/sub 2/, in nine different coal samples. Kinetic variables and parametric factors that were determined to have a pronounced effect on the rate and extent of oxidative dissolution at a fixed pO/sub 2/ were: the bacterial strain, the nitrogen/phosphorus molar ratio, the partial pressure of CO/sub 2/, the coal source, and the total reactive surface area of FeS/sub 2/. The overall rate of leaching, which exhibited a first-order dependence on the total surface area of FeS/sub 2/, was analyzed mathematically in terms of the sum of a biochemical rate, ..nu../sub 1/, and a chemical rate, ..nu../sub 2/. Results of this study show that bacterial desulfurization (90 to 98%) of coal samples which are relatively high in pyritic sulfur can be achieved within a time-frame of 8 to 12 days when pulp densities are less than or equal to 20% and particle sizes are less than or equal to 74 ..mu..m. These results suggest that minimal nutrient additions may be required for a commercial desulfurization process.

• OSTI ID: 6162637
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 42:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
CATALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
COAL
DESULFURIZATION
PYRITE
OXIDATION
THIOBACILLUS OXIDANS
METABOLISM
NITROGEN
PHOSPHORUS
BACILLUS
BACTERIA
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
KINETICS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MINERALS
NONMETALS
ORES
PYRITES
REACTION KINETICS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR ORES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
550700* - Microbiology
010402 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Purification & Upgrading