UTILIZATION OF MICROBIALLY SOLUBILIZED COAL - PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON ANAEROBIC CONVERSION

The solubilization of low-ranked coals by fungi, such as Paecilomyces, in defined submerged culture systems has been demonstrated. Current efforts focus on the conversion of the aerobically-solubilized coal into less oxidized products. Anaerobic methanogenic consortia have been developed that can remain active and viable in the presence of the aqueous coal product or vanillin, a coal model compound. The results suggest that a methanogenic consortium was able to produce methane and carbon dioxide from the product of coal biosolubilization by Paecilomyces as a sole carbon source. Work continues on the development of cultures able to convert the aqueous coal product and its various fractions into methane or fuel alcohols. © 1990 Humana Press Inc.