Bio-Liquefaction of Low-Rank Coal


 
We submit this additional research from Turkey in further support of the fact that many coal mine waste accumulations, as are found in West Virginia, and throughout Appalachia, contain sufficient organic content to be exploitable as sources of raw material for properly-designed coal-to-liquid conversion processes.
 
The biological liquefaction of coal wastes, or, actually, the biological extraction and concentration of organic values from coal wastes, via "living" processes that thus make the organic compounds available for conversion to liquid fuels and chemicals on a practical basis, is a technology that has been researched and developed since, at least, the mid-1970's, when Joe, as a WVU Geology grad student, performed in-field and laboratory data collection for a research project focused, in part, on that goal.
 
Excerpts, as follows: 

"Bio-Liquefaction/Solubilization of Low-Rank Turkish Lignites and Characterization of the Products

Yeşim Başaran
Department of Environmental Sciences, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06532 Ankara, Turkey
Adil Denizli
Department of Chemistry, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, 06532 Ankara, Turkey
Billur Sakintuna, Alpay Taralp, and Yuda Yürüm*
Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey
 

Abstract

The effect of some white-rot fungi on the bio-liquefaction/solubilization of two low-rank Turkish coals and the chemical composition of the liquid products and the microbial mechanisms of coal conversion were investigated. Turkish Elbistan and Beypazari lignites were used in this study. The white-rot fungi received from various laboratories used in the bio-liquefaction/solubilization of the lignites were Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus sapidus, Pleurotus florida, Pleurotus ostreatus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Coriolus versicolor. FT-IR spectra of raw and treated coal samples were measured, and bio-liquefied/solubilized coal samples were investigated by FT-IR and LC-MS techniques. The Coriolus versicolor fungus was determined to be most effective in bio-liquefying/solubilizing nitric acid-treated Elbistan lignite. In contrast, raw and nitric acid-treated Beypazari lignite seemed to be unaffected by the action of any kind of white-rot fungi. The liquid chromatogram of the water-soluble bio-liquefied/solubilized product contained four major peaks. Corresponding mass spectra of each peak indicated the presence of very complicated structures."

In-situ biological extraction of residual organic compounds from coal mine waste accumulations, for use as raw materials in the production of liquid fuels and chemicals, could enable a profitable industry based on environmental improvement through the clean-up and recycling of coal mine refuse.