A Two-stage Immobilized Cell Bioreactor With Bacillus subtilis and Rhodococcus erythropolis for the Simultaneous Production of Biosurfactant and Biodesulfurization of Model Oil

• Published in: Petroleum science and technology 2013-11, Vol.31 (21), p.2250-2257
• Main Authors: Amin, G. A., Bazaid, S. A., Abd El-Halim, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Bacillus; Bacillus subtilis; Bacteria; biodesulfurization; Bioreactors; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Gas conditioning and treatments. Desulphurization. Liquefaction; Gas industry; immobilized cells; Polyurethane foam; Processing of crude oil and oils from shales and tar sands. Processes. Equipment. Refinery and treatment units; Productivity; Reactors; Rhodococcus erythropolis; Sulfur; Surfactin; two-stage bioreactor
• ISSN: 1091-6466; 1532-2459
• DOI: 10.1080/10916466.2011.565292

Two vertical rotating immobilized cell reactors (VRICRs), one with the bacteria Bacillus sp. BDCC-TUSA-3 and the other with R. erythropolis, were constructed, with polyurethane foams as an attachment support. They were optimized for surfactin production and biodesulfurization (BDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT), respectively. Then, the two bioreactors were combined to form a two-stage VRICR where an appropriate fraction of Bacillus sp. reactor effluent, containing surfactin, was mixed with the influent fed into R. erythropolis bioreactor, containing DBT in hexadecane. The BDS rate and volumetric reactor productivity were greatly increased to 210.5 mM 2HBP.kg −1 .h −1 and 16.6 mM 2HBP.L −1 .h −1 , respectively. Sulfur concentration decreased from 398 down to