Studies of Colorado shale oil. III

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1921 · Chem. Metall. Eng.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7299449

Franks, A J

Samples of shale oil from DeBeque (Colo.) were redistilled at atmospheric pressure. The low-molecular-weight fractions were very stable and were not altered to any appreciable extent by redistillation; however, the heavy fractions were unstable. Each distillation produced gas, decreased the weight and volume of oil recovered, increased the stability of the distillate, lowered the specific gravity of the oil, decreased the sulfur and nitrogen content of the oil, and increased the amount of saturated hydrocarbons in the distillate. The heavy, unsaturated bitumens were the source of the new saturated compounds. The secondary products consisted of paraffins and olefins and smaller amounts of organic sulfur and nitrogen compounds, aromatics, and diolefins. The heavy, unstable bitumens were very complex substances, which contained sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen, but almost no saturated hydrocarbons. A theory was presented to explain the formation of oil from Colorado oil shale. Heat causes a depolymerization or some similar transformation of the kerogen to a less complex, heavy, unstable, and unsaturated material, which in turn decomposes to a varying degree with the formation of stable products of a lower molecular weight. This secondary decomposition accounts for the presence of low-molecular-weight constituents found in crude shale oils.

• OSTI ID: 7299449
• Journal Information: Chem. Metall. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Chem. Metall. Eng.; (United States) Vol. 25; ISSN CMENA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040500* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Properties & Composition
BITUMENS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLORADO
DECOMPOSITION
DISTILLATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
KEROGEN
MINERAL OILS
NORTH AMERICA
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SHALE OIL
SYNTHETIC FUELS
SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM
TAR
USA