Characterization and utilization of hydrotreated products produced from the Whiterocks (Utah) tar sand bitumen-derived liquid
The bitumen-derived liquid produced in a 4-inch diameter fluidized-bed reactor from the mined and crushed ore from the Whiterocks tar sand deposit has been hydrotreated in a fixed-bed reactor. The purpose was to determine the extent of upgrading as a function of process operating variable. A sulfided nickel-molybendum on alumina hydrodenitrogenation catalyst was used in all experiments. Moderately severe operating conditions were employed; that is, high reaction temperature (617--680 K) high reactor pressure (11.0--17.1 MPa) and low liquid feed rate (0.18--0.77 HSV); to achieve the desired reduction in heteroatom content. Detailed chemical structures of the bitumen-derived liquid feedstock and the hydrotreated total liquid products were determined by high resolution gas chromatography - mass spectrometry analyses. The compounds identified in the native bitumen included isoprenoids; bicyclic, tricycle, and tetracyclic terpenoids; steranes; hopanes; and perhydro-{beta}-carotenes. In addition, normal and branched alkanes and alkenes and partially dehydrogenated hydroaromatics were identified in the bitumen-derived liquid. The dominant pyrolysis reactions were: (1) the dealkylation of long alkyl side chains to form {alpha} - and isoolefins; and (2) the cleavage of alkyl chains linking aromatic and hydroaromatic clusters. Olefinic bonds were not observed in the hydrotreated product and monoaromatic hydrocarbons were the predominant aromatic species. The properties of the jet fuel fractions from the hydrotreated products met most of the jet fuel specifications. The cetane indices indicated these fractions would be suitable for use as diesel fuels.
- Research Organization:
- Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Dept. of Fuels Engineering
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; UTU; STOFUT; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Utah State Government, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC21-89MC26268
- OSTI ID:
- 5289463
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/MC/26268-92/C0013; CONF-911182-13; ON: DE92012544
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Eastern oil shale symposium, oil shale, tar sands, heavy oil, Lexington, KY (United States), 13-15 Nov 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BITUMENS
QUALITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
LIQUID FUELS
PURIFICATION
MOLYBDENUM
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
NICKEL
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
AVIATION FUELS
FLUIDIZED BED REACTORS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
PACKED BEDS
PYROLYSIS
SULFIDATION
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
FUEL DISPERSION REACTORS
FUELS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
METALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTORS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
TAR
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
040403* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Refining