Increasing the Selectivity for Sulfur Formation in Biological Gas Desulfurization.

In the biotechnological desulfurization process under haloalkaline conditions, dihydrogen sulfide (H2S) is removed from sour gas and oxidized to elemental sulfur (S8) by sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. Besides S8, the byproducts sulfate (SO42-) and thiosulfate (S2O32-) are formed, which consume caustic and form a waste stream. The aim of this study was to increase selectivity toward S8 by a new process line-up for biological gas desulfurization, applying two bioreactors with different substrate conditions (i.e., sulfidic and microaerophilic), instead of one (i.e., microaerophilic). A 111-day continuous test, mimicking full scale operation, demonstrated that S8 formation was 96.6% on a molar H2S supply basis; selectivity for SO42- and S2O32- were 1.4 and 2.0% respectively. The selectivity for S8 formation in a control experiment with the conventional 1-bioreactor line-up was 75.6 mol %. At start-up, the new process line-up immediately achieved lower SO42- and S2O32- formations compared to the 1-bioreactor line-up. When the microbial community adapted over time, it was observed that SO42- formation further decreased. In addition, chemical formation of S2O32- was reduced due to biologically mediated removal of sulfide from the process solution in the anaerobic bioreactor. The increased selectivity for S8 formation will result in 90% reduction in caustic consumption and waste stream formation compared to the 1-bioreactor line-up.

Magnetite synthesis from ferrous iron solution at pH 6.8 in a continuous stirred tank reactor.

Partial oxidation of defined Fe2+ solutions is a well-known method for magnetite synthesis in batch systems. The partial oxidation method could serve as basis for an iron removal process in drinking water production, yielding magnetite (Fe3O4) as a compact and valuable product. As a first step toward such a process, a series of experiments was carried out, in which magnetite was synthesized from an Fe2+ solution in a 2 L continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) at atmospheric pressure and 32 °C. In four experiments, elevating the pH from an initial value of 5.5 or 6.0 to a final value of 6.8, 7.0 or 7.5 caused green rust to form, eventually leading to magnetite. Formation of NH4+ in the reactor indicated that NO3- and subsequently NO2- served as the oxidant. However, mass flow analysis revealed an influx of O2 to the reactor. In a subsequent experiment, magnetite formation was achieved in the absence of added nitrate. In another experiment, seeding with magnetite particles led to additional magnetite precipitation without the need for a pH elevation step. Our results show, for the first time, that continuous magnetite formation from an Fe2+ solution is possible under mild conditions, without the need for extensive addition of chemicals.