Post Retort, Pre Hydro-treat Upgrading of Shale Oil
Various oil feedstocks, including oil from oil shale, bitumen from tar sands, heavy oil, and refin- ery streams were reacted with the alkali metals lithium or sodium in the presence of hydrogen or methane at elevated temperature and pressure in a reactor. The products were liquids with sub- stantially reduced metals, sulfur and nitrogen content. The API gravity typically increased. Sodi- um was found to be more effective than lithium in effectiveness. The solids formed when sodium was utilized contained sodium sulfide which could be regenerated electrochemically back to so- dium and a sulfur product using a "Nasicon", sodium ion conducting membrane. In addition, the process was found to be effective reducing total acid number (TAN) to zero, dramatically reduc- ing the asphaltene content and vacuum residual fraction in the product liquid. The process has promise as a means of eliminating sulfur oxide and carbon monoxide emissions. The process al- so opens the possibility of eliminating the coking process from upgrading schemes and upgrad- ing without using hydrogen.
- Research Organization:
- Ceramatec, Incorporated
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- FE0000408
- OSTI ID:
- 1164226
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Upgrding of residual oils by asphaltene conversion
Hydrotreating the bitumen-derived hydrocarbon liquid produced in a fluidized-bed pyrolysis reactor