Patent ID: 7998724

Claim:
A process for removing mercury from coal, the process comprising: (a) contacting coal having iron, iron compounds, sulfur, and/or sulfur compounds and having associated mercury or mercury compounds with a liquid including microorganisms selected from the group consisting of iron-oxidizing bacteria, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, and mixtures thereof, wherein the microorganisms are selected from the group consisting of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Acidithiobacillus caldus, Leptospirillium ferrooxidans, Sulfolobus solfataricus , and mixtures thereof; (b) biooxidizing at least one of iron, iron compounds, sulfur, and sulfur compounds in the coal whereby mercury ions are released from the coal into the liquid; (c) volatizing the mercury ions in the liquid into volatilized elemental mercury by the microorganisms; and (d) passing a first gas over the coal and/or into the liquid to release a second gas from the coal and/or liquid, the second gas including the volatilized elemental mercury.