Characterization of mercury, arsenic, and selenium in the product streams of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory 6-kg retort

Technical Report · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6194571· OSTI ID:6194571

Olsen, K B; Evans, J C; Sklarew, D S; Girvin, D C; Nelson, C L; Lepel, E A; Robertson, D E; Sanders, R W

The objective of this program is to determine how retorting process parameters affect the partitioning of Hg, As, Se, and Cd from raw oil shale to spent shale, shale oil, retort water, and offgas. For each of the elements, the objective of this study is to (1) determine the distribution coefficients for each product stream; (2) identify the chemical forms in water, gas, and oil streams, with particular emphasis on inorganic or organometallic species known to be or suspected of being carcinogenic, toxic, or otherwise harmful; (3) investigate the mechanism(s) responsible for mobilization into each product stream for toxic or labile chemical forms identified in item 2 are mobilized into each product stream; and (4) the effect of retorting rate, maximum retorting temperature, and retorting atmosphere on items 1 and 3. A Green River shale from Colorado and a New Albany shale from Kentucky were heated at 1 to 2/sup 0/C/min and at 10/sup 0/C/min to maximum temperatures of 500 and 750/sup 0/C under a nitrogen sweep gas. The product streams were analyzed using a variety of methods including Zeeman atomic absorption spectroscopy, microwave-induced helium plasma spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence, instrumental neutron activation analysis, high-pressure liquid and silica gel column chromatography, and mercury cold vapor atomic absorption. The results obtained using these analytical methods indicate that the distribution of mercury, arsenic, and selenium in the product stream is a function of oil shale type, heating rates, and maximum retorting temperatures. 11 refs., 27 figs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6194571
• Report Number(s): PNL-5658; ON: DE86005492
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
040500 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Properties & Composition
040900 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Waste management
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
ARSENIC
BARYON REACTIONS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COLORADO
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
DIAGRAMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IV
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FLOWSHEETS
FOSSIL FUELS
FRACTIONATION
FUELS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GASEOUS WASTES
GEL PERMEATION CHROMATOGRAPHY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GREEN RIVER FORMATION
HADRON REACTIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
KENTUCKY
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
MERCURY
METALS
MINERAL OILS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
OFF-GAS SYSTEMS
OIL SHALE DEPOSITS
OIL SHALES
OIL YIELDS
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTITION
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RESOURCES
RETORTING
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHALE OIL
SPECTROSCOPY
SPENT SHALES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRACE AMOUNTS
USA
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS
YIELDS