Development of rapid CO2 utilizing microbial ecosystem onto the novel & porous FPUF@nZVI@TAC@ASP hybrid for green coal desulphurization

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

• Coal desulphurization with high CO 2 consumption by bacteria on a hybrid was studied. • FPUF@nZVI@TAC@ASP offered immobilization platform to grow desulphurization bacteria. • nZVI coating enhanced coal desulphurization by breaking C-S bond & iron recycling. • S (43.3), Fe (20), NH 4 (0.08), NO 3 (0.05), PO 4 (0.01) kg/m 3 /day removal witnessed. • 4500 ppm of CO 2 was consumed to remove 1 kg sulphur, makes this study impactful. Self-capturing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the polluted atmosphere and consuming it into the coal reactor for cheap coal desulphurization is an ideal solution to smog and global warming. Herein, a novel engineered microbial ecosystem was developed over zero-valent iron (nZVI) decorated functional polyurethane (FPUF) biocarrier for coal bio-desulphurization coupled with rapid utilization of CO 2 . FPUF was structured with nZVI for quenching sulphur, iron, and nitrogen species from coal, and present them to TAC/ASP microbes for rapid degradation. Self-assembled and rapid CO 2 utilizing microbial ecosystem (FPUF@nZVI@TAC@ASP) was shortly emerged as rapid coal treatment device as it removed CO 2 (54 kg/m 3 /day), sulphur (43.3 kg/m 3 /day), iron (20 kg/m 3 /day), NH 4 + (0.08 kg/m 3 /day), NO 3 – (0.05 kg/m 3 /day), and PO 4 3- (0.01 kg/m 3 /day). Super-high CO 2 fixation along with high sulphur removal rate (43.3 kg/m 3 /day) also yielded 400 mol/h/g protein. That further provided ample supply of HCO 3 – , S 2 O 3 2- and SO 4 2- species to microbes, which ultimately resulted in highly dense microbial ecosystem (14 g/L/h). Highest coal treatment efficiency (90%) was recorded, at sulphur/CO 2 ratio of 20 and 14-h residence time, which was 30 times better performance than previously reported studies. Practical and commercialized application of developed process (tested in 5-liter coal-reactor), was found very impressive, as treatment of 1 kg coal produced 180 g of sulphur and mitigated 4500 ppm of CO 2. The developed process has potential direct industrial application for coal, crude oil, petroleum, flue gas and natural gas desulphurization. This study opens a new gateway for the investigation and design of more innovative desulphurization and CO 2 mitigation researches.