Microbially induced separation of quartz from hematite using sulfate reducing bacteria

Prakasan, Sabari MR and Natarajan, KA (2010) Microbially induced separation of quartz from hematite using sulfate reducing bacteria. In: Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 78 (2). pp. 163-170.

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Abstract

Cells and metabolic products of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans were successfully used to separate quartz from hematite through environmentally benign microbially induced flotation. Bacterial metabolic products such as extracellular proteins and polysaccharides were isolated from both unadapted and mineral-adapted bacterial metabolite and their basic characteristics were studied in order to get insight into the changes brought about on bioreagents during adaptation. Interaction between bacterial cells and metabolites with minerals like hematite and quartz brought about significant surface-chemical changes on both the minerals. Quartz was rendered more hydrophobic, while hematite became more hydrophilic after biotreatment.The predominance of bacterial polysaccharides on interacted hematite and of proteins on quartz was responsible for the above surface-chemical changes, as attested through adsorption studies. Surface-chemical changes were also observed on bacterial cells after adaptation to the above minerals. Selective separation of quartz from hematite was achieved through interaction with quartz-adapted bacterial cells and metabolite. Mineral-specific proteins secreted by quartz-adapted cells were responsible for conferment of hydrophobicity on quartz resulting in enhanced separation from hematite through flotation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Elsevier Science.
Keywords:	Desulfovibrio desulfuricans; Mineral-specific protein; Polysaccharides;Hematite;Quartz;Flotation
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Materials Engineering (formerly Metallurgy)
Date Deposited:	25 Jun 2010 05:35
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 06:08
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/28366

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