Objective THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSAL IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COAL DESULPHURIZATION PROCESS BASED ON THE COMBINED ACTION OF VARIOUS STRAINS OF MICROORGANISMS, CAPABLE TO SOLUBILIZE IRON-BOUND SULPHUR ("PYRITIC SULPHUR") AND COAL-MATRIX-BOUND SULPHUR ("ORGANIC SULPHUR"). A number of procedures for collecting microflora from coal faces, from freshly mined coal samples and from the waste dumps of an Italian coal mine were developed. Several eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms were isolated from the media that percolated along gallery walls or through small heaps or columns of coal or waste. Four European coals ranging in total sulphur content from 1.6% to 6% and with varying proportions of organic sulphur were investigated from the chemical, physical, mineralogical and petrographical viewpoints with the aim of developing a biological process for the total removal of sulphur. Up to 90% pyritic sulphur could be removed from these coals using adapted Thiobacillus ferrooxidans strains, provided that the coal was adequately comminuted and that the suspension medium ingredients were consistent with the coal's chemical composition. Highly porous coals seem to be the most readily amenable to biodepyritisation. Based on the observations made, a tentative flowsheet is proposed for a pilot plant for microbial coal desulphurisation.Bioremoval of organic sulphur from model compounds and from coal has been investigated. For this purpose a number of procedures for microflora collection from coal faces, freshly mined coal samples and waste dumps of an Italian coal mine were developed. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms were isolated from complex and selective media that were percolated along gallery walls or through heaps or columns of coal or waste. After selective serial passages in a synthetic medium supplemented with dibenzothiophene (DBT) as sole sulphur and carbon source, the DBT degrading activity of different selected strains was analysed. The most efficient strains were tested in a medium containing 5% coal in saline solution and in certain instances, over 30% organic sulphur components of coal were studied showing that the degrading activity is oxidation and hence depends on oxygen availability, size of coal particles and direct interaction between microorganisms and coal.4 European coals, ranging in sulphur content from 1.6% to 6%, were investigated. Up to 90% pyritic sulphur can be removed from these coals using adapted Thiobacillus ferroxidans strains, provided that the coal is adequately comminuted and the suspension medium ingredients are consistent with the coal's chemical composition. Highly porous coals are the most readily amenable to biodepyritisation. A tentative flowsheet for a pilot plant for microbial coal desulphurisation is proposed.THIS R&D PROJECT IS PROPOSED BECAUSE THE PYRITIC AND ORGANIC SULPHUR CONTENT OF SEVERAL EUROPEAN COALS IS SO HIGH AS TO STRONGLY LIMIT THEIR CONVENTIONAL UTILIZATION ON ACCOUNT OF THE ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THEIR COMBUSTION. THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES ARE REACHED WHEN THE PERCENTAGE OF SULPHUR IN A HIGH-SULPHUR COAL IS LOWERED BELOW 1% AFTER MICROBIAL LEACHING. THE RESULTS CAN BE APPLIED BY ALL THOSE WHO HAVE TO BURN COAL AND HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS CONCERNING ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION BY SULPHUR COMPOUNDS PRODUCED BY SULPHUR-CONTAINING COALS. Fields of science natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysisengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energycoalnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollutionnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiology Programme(s) FP1-ENNONUC 3C - Research and development programme (EEC) in the field of Non-Nuclear Energy, 1985-1988 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Università degli Studi di Cagliari EU contribution No data Address Piazza d'Armi 09123 Cagliari Italy See on map Total cost No data Participants (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Bergbau-Forschung GmbH Germany EU contribution No data Address Franz-Fischer-Weg 61 45307 Essen See on map Total cost No data DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Netherlands EU contribution No data Address DELFT See on map Total cost No data
