Coal Desulfurization with Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, from Balya Acidic Mine Drainage

By Aytar, Pinar; Kay, Catherine M.; Mutlu, Mehmet Burçin & Çabuk, Ahmet
Published in Energy & Fuels NULL 2013

Abstract

The biodesulfurization capability of a strain having sulfur and iron metabolism isolated from acidic mine drainage of Balya (Balikesir, Turkey) was studied. Molecular identification of the 16S rRNA gene showed that this bacterium was a strain of Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans. Desulfurization optimization experiments were performed by Taguchi's method. Statistical experimental arrangement L16 (45) was prepared to determine optimum sulfur removal. The optimum conditions for these parameters were found to be pH of 2.5, inoculum amount of 2%, pulp density of 1%, particle size of -500 + 250 μm, and incubation time of 14 days. A value of “Prob > F� less than 0.0500 indicates that model terms are significant. The obtained yields of total sulfur removal were approximately 33%. According to variance analysis, it was seen that all parameters were effective in removal of total sulfur. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses also indicated a modification of the coal surface after biodesulfurization. The redox potential was measured as 818 mV (7 days) and 788 mV (14 days) during the biodesulfurization experiment by the Pt -Ag/AgCl system of cyclic voltammetry, which suggested that the Fe3+/Fe2+ redox pair could be thermodynamically competitive with the O2/H2O couple as the electron acceptor during bacterial sulfur oxidation, demonstrating that S0 oxidation was coupled with Fe3+ reduction. Thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis, and differential thermogravimetry curves for untreated and biotreated coal showed the differences in combustion profiles, possibly relating to structural alterations derived from biotreatments.

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