Continuous bacterial coal desulfurization employing Thiobacillus ferrooxidans

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.260260117· OSTI ID:7044218

Myerson, A S; Kline, P C

The leaching of pyrite sulfur from coal employing Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was studied in a continuous stirred tank reactor at a variety of dilution rates (0.02-0.11 h/sup -1/) and coal surface areas (0.25-1.0 m/sup 2//mL). The bacterial leaching rate was found to increase with increasing dilution rate. The bacterial concentration on the coal surface was related to the bacterial concentration in solution by a irreversible second-order (of the second kind) kinetic equation. The concentration of bacteria on the coal in all experiments was the concentration at saturation. Step changes in the coal concentration were observed to result in dramatic declines in bacterial concentration in solution. A bacterial mass balance model was employed to calculate the specific growth rate on the solid which was observed to increase with increasing dilution rate.

• Research Organization: Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta
• OSTI ID: 7044218
• Journal Information: Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States), Journal Name: Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States) Vol. 26:1; ISSN BIBIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010402* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Purification & Upgrading
BACILLUS
BACTERIA
BIOREACTORS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
CONTINUOUS CULTURE
DESULFURIZATION
DISSOLUTION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
KINETICS
LEACHING
MASS BALANCE
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROORGANISMS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFUR-OXIDIZING BACTERIA
THIOBACILLUS FERROXIDANS
USES