Thermal and Kinetic Characteristics of some Oil Shale Samples

Abstract

The thermal behaviour of different oil shale samples (Estonia, Jordan, Israel, Morocco) were studied using a Setaram Setsys 1750 thermoanalyzers coupled to a Nicolet 380 FTIR Spectrometer. The experiments were carried out under non-isothermal heating conditions up to 1000 °C at different heating rates in an oxidizing atmosphere. A model-free kinetic analysis approach based on the differential isoconversional method of Friedman was used to calculate the kinetic parameters. The thermooxidative decomposition of oil shale samples proceeded in three steps. Firstly, thermooxidation of volatile organic compounds occurred – depending on the heating rate, up to 460 °C. Secondly, thermooxidation of heavier part of organic matter (kerogen) and fixed carbon as well as thermooxidation of pyrite proceeded up to 580 °C. Finally, carbonates contained in oil shale samples decomposed up to 870 °C. The combined TG-FTIR study of thermooxidative decomposition of samples made it possible to identify in addition to CO2 and H2O as major gases evolved a number of gaseous species like CO, SO2, COS, methane, ethylene, etc. formed and evolved at that. The value of activation energy E in the low-temperature oxidation region was for Estonian and Jordanian oil shale samples lower than that in the high-temperature region which was contrary for Israeli and Moroccan oil shale samples. Therefore, the results obtained indicated the complex multi-step character of the thermooxidative decomposition of the oil shale samples studied.