Research Projects

Coal petrological and geochemical studies have been useful in coal characterization for understanding the quality and utilization of coal. The evolved and innovative methods will help in beneficiation of coal. Characteristics of various targeted coal samples will be identified with the help of petrological and geochemical analysis. This analysis will lead to further estimation of inorganic and organic sulfur in various identified sulfur rich coal samples. As we know that combustion of sulfur containing coal and lignite's are the main source of SO2 emission in atmosphere, resulting environmental pollution and health related issues. Few reports are available on the removal of pyritic and sulfate sulfur from coal. Some bacterial sp. have also been used for the removal of inorganic sulfur from coal samples. However, removal of organic sulfur from coal is a complex process; it cannot be removed by physical process. The present proposal has been designed keeping in mind the desulfurization of organic and inorganic sulfur rich coal and lignite of the country. Comparative study of desulfurization with the biological and chemical technology will be carried out. Further the factors that may affect desulfurization process would also be evaluated. The sulfur rich coals of north eastern state like Assam, Arunachal, Nagaland, and Meghalaya and lignite's of western India (Gujarat and Rajasthan) and south India (Tamil Nadu) have not been much studied and only few papers are available on the desulfurization of these coals and lignites. In the present investigations, microbes will be isolated from sulfur rich coal, identified through partial-genome sequencing and mass cultivated. Coal samples will be treated with most efficient microbial consortia and mixed microbial consortia for the removal of sulfur (organic and inorganic) under biological technique. Whole Genome Sequencing of selected microbes shall be carried out to know the role of microbial genes involved in the desulfurization process. Ionic liquid and hydrogen peroxide producing microorganisms shall be used together under various optimized conditions for desulfurization under chemical technique.Biological and chemical tools will be compared on the basis of sulfur removal.

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