title: Comparison analysis of coal biodesulfurization and coal's pyrite bioleaching with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.
abstract: Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) was applied in coal biodesulfurization and coal's pyrite bioleaching. The result showed that A. ferrooxidans had significantly promoted the biodesulfurization of coal and bioleaching of coal's pyrite. After 16 days of processing, the total sulfur removal rate of coal was 50.6%, and among them the removal of pyritic sulfur was up to 69.9%. On the contrary, after 12 days of processing, the coal's pyrite bioleaching rate was 72.0%. SEM micrographs showed that the major pyrite forms in coal were massive and veinlets. It seems that the bacteria took priority to remove the massive pyrite. The sulfur relative contents analysis from XANES showed that the elemental sulfur (28.32%) and jarosite (18.99%) were accumulated in the biotreated residual coal. However, XRD and XANES spectra of residual pyrite indicated that the sulfur components were mainly composed of pyrite (49.34%) and elemental sulfur (50.72%) but no other sulfur contents were detected. Based on the present results, we speculated that the pyrite forms in coal might affect sulfur biooxidation process.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China.
authors.forename: Fen-Fen
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jin-Yan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiu-Xiang
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yi-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D042763:Acidithiobacillus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003031:Coal; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003031:Coal; D013440:Sulfides; C011342:pyrite; D013455:Sulfur; D007501:Iron