Extraction of metal oxides from coal fly ash by microorganisms and a new microorganism useful therefor

摘要

Metal oxides are extracted from coal fly ash by a bio-leading process. The ash is suspended in an aqueous saline solution having a pH within the range of from 5 to 8 and the suspension is incubated with a microorganism strain capable of growing in aqueous saline solution and binding to metal oxide, and the resulting agglomerates are separated. A new gram-positive bacterial strain designated GIN-1 and being a member of the genus Rhodococcus is described. It has been deposited under No. 40340 at the National Collections of Industrial and Marine Bacterial Ltd. (NCIMB) at Aberdeen, Scotland. GIN-1 is particularly suitable for the bioteching of metal oxides from coal fly ash.