The isolation of a thermophilic biosurfactant producing Bacillus SP

Abstract

A thermophilic Bacillus strain has been isolated on a hydrocarbon containing medium and grew at up to 50°C. This strain produced biosurfactant and its 20h old culture broth had low surface and interfacial tension (27-29 and 1.5 mN/m, respectively). It emulsified Kerosene and other hydrocarbons efficiently (E-24 = 95 %) and was able to recover more than 95 % of the residual oil from sandpack columns. Potential uses in oil industries are discussed. © 1993 Chapman & Hall.