Coal Washing

Protein engineering is proven to be one of the more powerful technological approaches in biotechnology, being both very technical and able to generate valuable intellectual property. The application of protein engineering has successfully generated solutions from industrial protein chemistry and enzymology.

Enzymes & Protiens:

These enzyme formulations are designed to produce enzymes that specifically attack the desired molecular bonds to detach the target contaminate. This process is realized by the interaction of several enzyme groups known as decombinanase, transferase and recombinase. The enzyme solutions are bio-catalytic in that they can react upon substrates without being' reacted upon themselves. For this reason, the enzyme solution can be used and then recycled through the treatment process. The aqueous solution is created by the addition of a prescribed amount of the produced enzyme formulation concentrate to an amount of water. Some solutions require an amount of an additive used to template the enzyme action, to condition the aqueous solution, prior to the introduction of the material to be treated. The amount of enzyme concentrate required in most applications is from 0.3% to 3% of the volume of the water. After the initial concentration of aqueous solution is formed our competitive advantage really becomes apparent as the rate of required enzyme concentrate to the solution is only added in small maintenance amounts. While anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants are quickly expended in the washing process and flocculants require constant addition to solution due to the reagent type reaction required for these products to be effective.

For these reasons our coal washing technology has a distinctive competence in comparison to conventional washing technologies that utilize surfactants to remove the same contaminants. The surfactant and conventional chemical additives to the "wash water" used to "high grade" the material are not only used up in the washing process, but also produce an effluent that contains at a minimum the water and surfactant. This is a huge environmental concern for the water run off from a conventional coal washing facility. If this water containing the surfactants or other reagent type chemicals, i.e. caustics, acids, flocculants enters a local watershed and subsequently contaminates a river or other inland body of water, the natural oils are washed from the gills of the indigenous fish and a fish kill takes place. Other clean coal technologies utilize heat to liquefy the coal and then use calcium to remove the sulfur from the effluents by producing a calcium sulfate (gypsum) that is sold to produce wallboard (drywall).

There are a few conditions that must be met in order to ensure the proper and continued operation of enzyme upon the introduction of the material to be treated or remediated by the aqueous solution and treatment process. One consideration is that the solution ph be maintained between 4 and 8.5. The operating temperature range is from 45 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The optimum ranges for temperature and pH are determined on a case by case basis. These processes are an Intellectual Property and are protected as a Trade Secret. The enzyme processes and the supporting mechanical designs work in tandem to produce each desired result.