Clean coal technology using an iron- and sulfur-oxidizing mixotrophic bacterium

Abstract

Coal is one of the important energy sources in the world. It has been part of the important roles for centuries, not only for generating electricity but also the main fuel for steel and cement production as well as other industrial activities. However, the quality of the coal is generally too low for the practical, economical utilization. High sulfur and ash contents come up as one of the barriers in the productive usage of indigenous coal. Clean coal technology such as coal biobeneficiation can appear as a panacea for upgrading the coal reserves with high sulfur and ash contents. In the current study, the removal potential of the sulfur and ash content from coal of Kalimantan, Indonesia was investigated by using the bacterium Pseudomonas moraviensis. It was reported for the first time that the bacterium had the capability to remove about 17.37% of total sulfur and ash content from the coal. The results revealed that the bacterium Pseudomonas moraviensis used in this study could remove sulfur and ash content from the coal and could thus be used in the pre-combustion operation with appropriate arrangement.