Abstract
The bacterium Mycobacterium phlei is highly hydrophobic and negatively charged. It has specificity for selective adhesion to fine coal particles, mainly due to hydrophobic interaction. However, it does not attach to pyrite and ash-forming minerals present in the coal matrix. Results have shown that this bacterium is an excellent flocculant for fine coal. Not only are the coal particles visibly aggregated, but the optical micrograph has shown that the coal particles are held in the aggregate by adhesion and bacterial bridging.
With Mycobacterium phlei, the flocculation characteristic of coal is markedly different from that usually observed with synthetic polymeric flocculants. In particular, the entwining characteristics of the long chain molecules of synthetic flocculants are absent in the case of Mycobacterium phlei. Since the hydrophobic interactions between the adhering particles are of greater importance in the formation of particle aggregation, the flocculation process is very selective.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aplan, F.F., 1976, “Coal flotation,” Flotation, M.C. Fuerstenau, ed., SME-AIME, Vol. 2, p. 1225.
Barksdale, L., and Kim, K.S., 1977, “Mycobacterium,” Bacterial Review, Vol. 41, p. 217.
Buchanan, L., and Gibbons, N.E., 1974, Bergy’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, Eighth Edition, The Williams Company, Baltimore, MD, p. 693.
Derjaguin, B.V., 1934, “Friction and adhesion IV. The theory of adhesion of small particles,” Kolloid Z., Vol. 69, p. 155.
Groppo, J., 1986, “Column flotation shows higher recovery with less ash,” Mining Engineering, August, p. 36.
Guirrad, B.M., and Snell, E.E., Biochemical Factors in Growth, Manual of Methods for General Bacteriology, P. Gerhardt, ed., American Society of Microbiology, pp. 79–111.
Hogg, R., Healy, T.W., and Fuerstenau, D.W., 1966, “Mutual coagulation of colloidal dispersions,” Transactions of the Faraday Society, Vol. 62, p. 1638.
Honaker, R.Q., et al., 1991, “The application of hydrophobic coagulation for upgrading ultrafine coal,” SME preprint no. 91-149, SME, Littleton, CO.
Hucko, R.E., et al., 1990, “Selective agglomeration: An interlaboratory test program,” Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, May, p. 74.
Hucko, R.E., 1977, “Beneficiation of coal by selective flocculation,” USBM RI8234.
Klimpel, R.R., and Luckie, P.T., 1988, eds., Industrial Practice of Fine Coal Processing, SME-AIME.
Laskin, A.I., and Lechevalier, H.A., 1977, Hand Book of Microbiology, Second Edition, CRC Press, Vol. 1 (Bacteria), p. 288.
Laurel, M.J., 1985, “Five advanced cleaning processes bring desulfurization within reach,” Coal Mining, September.
Miller, J.D., and Misra, M., 1985, “Carbon dioxide flotation of fine coal,” Coal Preparation, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 69.
Miller, J.D., and Van Camp, M.C., 1982, “Fine coal flotation in a centrifugal field with an air sparged hydrocyclone,” Mining Engineering, November, p. 1575.
Miller, K.J., 1988, “Novel flotation technology; a survey of equipment and processes,” Industrial Practice of Fine Coal Processing, R.R. Klimpel and P.T. Luckie, eds., SME-AIME, New York, p. 347.
Misra, M., and Anazia, I., 1987, “Ultrafine coal flotation by gas phase transport of atomized reagents,” Minerals and Metallurgical Processing, November, pp. 233–236.
Misra, M., Chen, S., and Smith, R.W., 1991, “Bioflocculation of finely divided solids,” Mineral Bioprocessing, R.W. Smith and M. Misra, eds., The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), p. 91.
Misra, M., Chen, S., and Smith, R.W., 1991a, “Kerogen aggregation with Mycobacterium phlei,” Mineral Bioprocessing. R.W. Smith and M. Misra. eds., The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), p. 137.
Overbeek, J.Th.G., 1952, “Electrokinetic phenomena,” Colloid Science, H.R. Kruyt, ed., p. 1638.
Pratt, D., 1952, “Nutrition of Mycobacterium phlei: Requirement for rapid growth, manual of methods for general bacteriology,” Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 16, pp. 651–657.
Smith, R.W., Misra, M., and Dubel, J., 1991, “Mineral bioprocessing and the future,” Minerals Engineering, Vol. 4, No. 7–11, pp. 1127–1141.
Smith, R.W., Misra, M., and Dubel, J., 1991a, “Bacterial flocculation of phosphate wastes using a hydrophobic bacterium,” Residues and Effluents: Processing and Environmental Considerations, R.G. Reddy, W.P. Imrie and P.B. Queneau, eds., The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), p. 747.
Van Loosdrecht, M.C.M., et al., 1987, “Electrophoretic mobility and hydrophobicity as a measure steps in bacterial adhesion,” Applied Environs. Microbiology, Vol. 53, pp. 1898–1901.
Van Loosdrecht, M.C.M., et al., 1987a, “The role of bacterial cell wall hydrophobicity in adhesion,” Applied Environs. Microbiology, pp. 1893–1897.
Xu, Z., and Yoon, R.H., 1990, “A study of hydrophobic coagulation,” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 134, No. 2, pp. 427–434.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
SME preprint 92-87, SME Annual Meeting, Feb. 24–27, 1992, Phoenix, AZ. M&MP paper 92-622.
Discussion of this peer-reviewed and approved paper is invited and must be submitted, in duplicate, prior to May 31, 1993.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Misra, M., Smith, R.W., Dubel, J. et al. Selective flocculation of fine coal with hydrophobic Mycobacterium phlei. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 10, 20–23 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402994
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03402994