Beneficiation of Green River oil shale by pelletization
Two shale samples were studied - one from the Marathon lease (cores) and the other from the Dow-Colony mine. Clearly, the latter is the more relevant to an ore beneficiation process. The result obtained with this material is less favorable than that achieved with the Marathon cores. Still the increase in kerogen content from a value of 21% for the raw material to 62% for the upgraded pellets represents a rejection of 83% of the mineral matter (neglecting a small loss of kerogen to the gangue). This can mean a sizable decrease in the heat demand of a retorting process. There may also be an ancillary environmental benefit. The rejected inorganic gangue contains only a small residue of kerogen, in unmodified form. This is no more damaging chemically than the original oil shale. The residue, char, from the retorting of the enriched pellets has a sufficiently high Btu content (Table 5) and low minerals content to be useful as a process fuel. Its ash would be free of oganic matter and low in silica dust. Thus the returns to the environment from a process involving ore beneficiation, retorting of the kerogen-enriched pellets and char burning would be free of organic pyrolysis products. The laboratory experiments were performed batchwise in small ball mills. A larger scale operation would call for continuous processing, probably in a rod mill. At present the procedure does not appear to be economically feasible. A major cost is that of the initial comminution of the shale. Because the material possesses a very unfavorable grindability work index, this step requires an excessive power outlay. Furthermore, the process calls for a large quantity of organic binding agent, the recovery of which too is very costly. Whether means can be devised for improving the economics must await further investigation.
- Research Organization:
- Shell Development Co., Houston, TX
- OSTI ID:
- 6732589
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-800814-P2
- Journal Information:
- Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Fuel Chem., Prepr.; (United States), Vol. 25:3; Conference: 180. American Chemical Society meeting/2. chemical congress of the North American Continent, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 24 Aug 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
OIL SHALES
PELLETIZING
BINDERS
BITUMENS
COST
DRY ASHING
DRYING
GANGUE
GRINDING MACHINES
KEROGEN
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
MINERALS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
ENERGY SOURCES
FABRICATION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MACHINE TOOLS
MATERIALS
MOLDING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RESIDUES
TAR
TOOLS
040500* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Properties & Composition