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An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613785829670912 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Augustyn, Andre Rossouw |
| author2 | Tadie, Margreth |
| author_browse | Augustyn, Andre Rossouw Tadie, Margreth |
| author_facet | Tadie, Margreth Augustyn, Andre Rossouw |
| author_sort | Augustyn, Andre Rossouw |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109337 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:40.401Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109337 An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation Augustyn, Andre Rossouw Tadie, Margreth Pott, Robert William M. Surfactin UCTD Biosurfactant Desulphurization Froth flotation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy Acid mine drainage Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Coal mining plays a significant part in the South African economy. One of the largest problems associated with coal mining is acid mine drainage (AMD), which is produced through the oxidation of sulphide-minerals, in the presence of water and a suitable oxidant. AMD is toxic to the surrounding environment and causes lasting damage. Froth flotation is a viable option for the desulphurisation of coal tailings which cause AMD. Global trends towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly surfactants have led to the investigation of biosurfactants as replacements for synthetic surfactants used in flotation. Surfactin, a microbial biosurfactant, may be promising as a desulphurisation agent, due to its molecular structure and the anionic nature of its functional groups, indicating the potential for preferential chelation of pyrite. The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of surfactin as a collector in desulphurisation of coal through froth flotation, as a mitigation strategy for the formation of acid mine drainage. The first objective was achieved using surface tension to determine the critical micelle concentration of the surfactin sample, found to be 4.5 mg/L, to determine a practical surfactin concentration range, which was used for further experimentation. Surfactin adsorption on both the surface of coal and pyrite was confirmed through zeta potential and FTIR analysis and indicated a greater interaction with both the surface of coal and pyrite in the neutral and alkaline pH ranges, signifying that ionisation of the surfactin carboxylic groups plays a significant role in adsorption. The attachment mechanism of surfactin to the surface of coal was confirmed to be hydrophobic physisorption between the aliphatic functional groups of surfactin molecules and the carbonaceous surface functional groups of coal, but results indicated that there was a limited number of surfactin adsorption sites. In contrast, the attachment mechanism of surfactin onto the surface of pyrite was chemisorption to either Fe-hydroxide sites or through interaction of the amide groups on surfactin with sulphur on the pyrite surface. Surfactin demonstrated a cleaning effect on both the surface of coal and pyrite, which may contribute to the increase in hydrophobicity. Surfactin acted as a collector of both coal and pyrite at most operating conditions, however, there were instances at which surfactin had little to no effect on the hydrophobicity of coal or pyrite, and in the case of coal, surfactin acted as a depressant at pH 8. Generally, surfactin was a more effective collector of coal in the acidic pH range, and of pyrite in the alkaline pH range. This differential activity allows for the preferential flotation of either coal or pyrite. The final objective was to determine the coal desulphurisation system operating conditions, and based on this preliminary study, those were determined to be at pH 10 and 5 mg/L surfactin concentration. This provided a 56.2% pyrite recovery and 47.8 % coal recovery. As a preliminary study, this research achieved its aim and indicated that surfactin shows great potential as an effective agent for the desulphurisation of coal through froth flotation. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Steenkoolwinning speel ’n beduidende rol in die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie. Een van die grootste probleme wat met steenkoolmyne geassosieer word is suurmyndreinering (AMD), wat geproduseer word tydens die oksidasie van sulfiedminerale in die teenwoordigheid van water en ’n gepaste oksidant. AMD is toksies vir die omliggende omgewing en veroorsaak blywende skade. Skuimflottering is ’n lewensvatbare opsie vir die ontswaeling van steenkooluitskotte wat AMD veroorsaak. Globale tendense na meer volhoubare en omgewingsvriendelike surfaktante het na die ondersoek van biosurfaktante as plaasvervangers vir sintetiese surfaktante wat gebruik word in flottering, gelei. Surfaktien, ’n mikrobiese biosurfaktant, kan belowend wees as ’n ontswaelingsmiddel as gevolg van sy molekulêre struktuur en die anioniese natuur van sy funksionele groepe, wat die potensiaal vir voorkeurchelasie van piriet aandui. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die effektiwiteit van surfaktien as ’n versamelaar in ontswaeling van steenkool deur skuimflottering te bepaal, as ’n mitigasiestrategie vir die formasie van suurmyndreinering. Die eerste doel is bereik deur oppervlakspanning te gebruik om die kritiese miselkonsentrasie van die surfaktiensteekproef te bepaal, gevind om 4.5 mg/L te wees, om ’n praktiese surfaktienkonsentrasiebestek te bepaal, wat gebruik is vir verdere eksperimentering. Surfaktienadsorpsie op beide die oppervlaktes van steenkool en piriet is bevestig deur zetapotensiaal en FTIR-analise en het ’n groter interaksie met beide die oppervlak van steenkool en piriet in die neutrale en alkaliese pH-bestekke aangedui, wat aandui dat ionisering van die surfaktien se karboksiliese groepe ’n beduidende rol speel in adsorpsie. Die aanhegtingsmeganisme van die surfaktien op die oppervlakte van steenkool is bevestig om hidrofobiese fisisorpsie tussen die alifatiese funksionele groepe van surfaktienmolekules en die koolstofhoudende oppervlak funksionele groepe van steenkool te wees, maar resultate het aangedui dat daar ’n beperkte aantal surfaktienadsorpsie verbindingsplekke was. In kontras was die aanhegtingsmeganisme van surfaktien op die oppervlak van piriet chemisorpsie na Fe-hidroksied verbindingsplekke of deur interaksie van die amiedgroepe op surfaktien met sulfur op die pirietoppervlak. Surfaktien het ’n skoonmaakeffek op beide die oppervlaktes van steenkool en piriet gedemonstreer, wat tot die toename in hidrofobisiteit kon bydra. Surfaktien het as ’n versamelaar van beide steenkool en piriet opgetree by meeste bedryfskondisies, maar daar was egter gevalle waar surfaktien min tot geen effek op die hidrofobisiteit van steenkool of piriet gehad het nie, en in die geval van steenkool, het surfaktien as ’n depressant opgetree by pH 8. Oor die algemeen was surfaktien ’n meer effektiewe versamelaar van steenkool in die suur pH-bestek, en van piriet in die alkaliese pH-bestek. Hierdie differensiële aktiwiteit laat die voorkeur flottering toe van of steenkool of piriet. Die finale doel was om die steenkool ontswaelingstelsel se bedryfskondisies te bepaal, en gebaseer op hierdie voorafgaande studie is hierdie bepaal om by pH 10 en 5 mg/L surfaktienkonsentrasie te wees. Dit het ’n 56.2% pirietherwinning en 47.8% steenkoolherwinning voorsien. As ’n voorafgaande studie, het hierdie navorsing sy doel bereik en aangedui dat surfaktien groot potensiaal toon as ’n effektiewe middel vir die ontswaeling van steenkool deur skuimflottering. Masters 2020-11-25T14:16:06Z 2021-01-31T19:45:20Z 2020-11-25T14:16:06Z 2021-01-31T19:45:20Z 2020-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109337 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 127 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Surfactin UCTD Biosurfactant Desulphurization Froth flotation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy Acid mine drainage Augustyn, Andre Rossouw An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation |
| title | An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation |
| title_full | An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation |
| title_fullStr | An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation |
| title_full_unstemmed | An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation |
| title_short | An initial investigation into the application of surfactin, a biosurfactant, as an alternative desulphurisation agent, for the prevention of acid mine drainage, via froth flotation |
| title_sort | initial investigation into the application of surfactin a biosurfactant as an alternative desulphurisation agent for the prevention of acid mine drainage via froth flotation |
| topic | Surfactin UCTD Biosurfactant Desulphurization Froth flotation Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy Acid mine drainage |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109337 |
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