ABSTRACT
Conversion of Texas lignite to methane gas is being examined in the laboratory research program. The process under investigation is a two-stage process in which lignite is initially converted to a microbial substrate through thermochemical means and the resultant material is then biologically converted to methane and carbon dioxide gases. The methane produced will be of sufficient quality to be injected into a gas pipeline. Anaerobic organisms from two sources-from a digester at a wastewater treatment plant and from the gut of higher termites—are being examined for conversion of lignite to methane gas in a nonhalophilic environment. In all cases where a sample of soluble lignite was fed to one batch reactor and the ultrafiltered lignite from that same sample was fed to a duplicate reactor, the total quantity of methane produced was greater for the digester receiving ultrafiltered material than for the digester receiving filtered material.
