Coal flotation using a biosurfactant from Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a frother

Abstract

A biosurfactant-producing bacterial species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was grown in a mineral solution with gas oil as the source of carbon and energy. The biosurfactant was recovered from the solution by collecting the foam on the surface and drying. It had critical micelle concentration of 100 ppm. Froth characterization showed that the biosurfactant was superior to methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC) in terms of froth height and stability. The biosurfactant was examined in coal flotation as a frother. The combustible matter recovery of 72–79% with 10–15.5% ash content supporting 55–57.5% separation efficiency seemed promising enough to introduce the biosurfactant from Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a new frother.