Process Biochemistry, Vol.34, No.3, 249-256, 1999
Bulk and surface characterization of crystalline and plastic sulphur oxidized by two Thiobacillus species
This work studies the surface interaction between Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Thiobacillus thiooxidans with crystalline and plastic elemental sulphur. The interaction mechanisms were analysed by fractal geometry which describes textural modifications of the substrate caused by bacterial action. The results demonstrated that the bacteria are able to produce two different effects depending on the substrates. Only surface smoothing (decrease on fractal dimension values) was detected on crystalline sulphur (this effect being stronger with T. ferrooxidans than with T. thiooxidans), but, perforation of the bulk was also observed in plastic sulphur
Keywords:ELEMENTAL SULFUR;FERROOXIDANS;THIOOXIDANS;COVELLITE;GROWTH;OXIDATION;CULTURES;KINETICS;AGENT