Characterization and treatment of by-product waters from selected oil shale retorting tests
Oil shale retorting by-product waters from four surface retorting pilot tests and three simulated modified in situ retorting pilot tests were characterized for inorganic and organic chemical constituents. Eastern and western US shales were retorted for the tests. Ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium thiosulfate, various pyridines, and phenolic species were among the principal contaminants in the retort by-product water. The water also contains total dissolved solids up to 7000 ppM. When steam was used as a source of heat for oil shale retorting, the condensate that formed diluted the concentrations of contaminants, especially mineral dissolved solids, in the by-product water. The combined water treatment steps of hot-gas stripping followed by wet air oxidation at 600/degree/F (315/degree/C) and 2000 psi for 30 minutes removed 99% of the total organic carbon in the retort by-product water, producing a colorless and almost odor-free water. In one treatment test, the total organic carbon (TOC) was reduced from 3400 mg/L to less than 20 mg/L, with the 20 mg/L TOC remaining consisting of low molecular weight carboxylic acids. Only a partial TOC reduction occurred, with various alkylpyridines remaining as residuals when the retort waters were subjected to wet air oxidation as the only treatment step. Electrocoagulation as an initial water treatment step removed less than 30% of the TOC. 10 refs., 4 figs., 12 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC21-86MC11076
- OSTI ID:
- 6586138
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/MC/11076-2638; ON: DE89000914
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
OIL SHALES
RETORTING
WASTE WATER
WATER TREATMENT
AIR
AMMONIUM CARBONATES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PHENOLS
PYRIDINES
SOLIDS
SULFATES
TOXICITY
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
AZINES
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONATES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASES
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
WASTES
WATER
040401* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- In Situ Methods
True & Modified
040402 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Surface Methods
041000 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)