Abstract
Coal-solubilizing agents produced byTrametes versicolor, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Aspergillus sp., a bacterial consortium, and a bacterial isolate,Arthrobacter sp., from that consortium were compared in terms of pH dependence, thermostability, molecular mass, mechanism of action, and product diversity. The thermostability and low molecular weights exhibited by the coal-solubilizing agents indicated a non-enzymatic mechanism of action. Competition studies using cupric copper indicated that coal solubilization by these agents involved metal chelation. Results demonstrated that oxalate could account for some but not all of the coal solubilization observed forT.versicolor andP.chrysosporium. The very low levels of oxalate detected inAspergillus sp. and the bacterial cultures indicated that oxalate is not an important factor in coal solubilization by these microbes. When subjected to gel permeation chromatography, the soluble coal products generated by each microbial coal-solubilizing agent yielded unique molecular mass profiles suggesting substantial product diversity. Such diversity increases the possibility of identifying potentially valuable compounds and extending the commercial utilization of coal.
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