Selected elemental distributions as determined by reference retorting of oil shale
In an effort to determine potential hindrances to the commercial development of the oil shale industry mass balance Fischer assay was used as a reference retorting method to examine the distribution of selected elements generally considered as contaminants in the final retort products. The elements examined were nitrogen, sulfur, silver, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, lead, selenium, and zinc. The shales used in this study were an eastern (New Albany) interim reference shale, a western (Green River Formation) interim reference shale, and a series of stratigraphically differentiated shales from Colorado corehole No. 1 in the Piceance Creek Basin. Analysis of the raw shale and retort products was accomplished using instrumental elemental methods including inductively coupled argon plasma spectroscopy and graphite furnace atomic absorption. Carbon balances indicated a high potential for achieving good mass closures existed. However, instrumental limitations combined with a high potential for contamination and/or representative sampling problems resulted in poor closures for many of the trace elements. Consistent closures were obtained for arsenic, barium, copper, and zinc. Given the operating conditions of the retort all elements under consideration remained primarily in the spent shale. Elements verified in the oil product included nitrogen and sulfur compounds and arsenic and selenium. The water product was also contaminated by nitrogen and sulfur compounds and arsenic and selenium. Evidence suggests the sulfur occurs primarily as organic sulfur. Quantitative results for the gas product were poor. However, sulfur and mercury were determined to be present at significant levels in the gas stream. The data presented here concurs with previously reported data that suggests the existence of several potential problem areas in the development of an oil shale industry. 42 refs., 1 fig., 42 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Western Research Inst., Laramie, WY (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC21-83FE60177
- OSTI ID:
- 6746135
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/FE/60177-2292; ON: DE87005813
- 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
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ARSENIC
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
BARIUM
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
CADMIUM
CHROMIUM
COPPER
LEAD
OIL SHALES
FISCHER ASSAY
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SELENIUM
SHALE OIL
SILVER
SPENT SHALES
WASTE WATER
ASHES
CALIBRATION STANDARDS
CARBON
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GAS ANALYSIS
GREEN RIVER FORMATION
HYDROGEN
MERCURY
NITROGEN
PICEANCE CREEK BASIN
RETORTING
SAMPLE PREPARATION
SULFUR
TRACE AMOUNTS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIQUID WASTES
MATERIALS
METALS
MINERAL OILS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RESIDUES
SEMIMETALS
SPECTROSCOPY
STANDARDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTES
WATER
040500* - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Properties & Composition
400102 - Chemical & Spectral Procedures