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Detailed physicochemical and thermochemical investigation of Upper Assam oil shale

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Abstract

The present work provides a detailed characterization and kinetic study of oil shale of Upper Assam, India. The physicochemical characteristics of oil shale were studied by proximate analysis, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The physicochemical study showed the oil shale to be of siliceous type, sour in the presence of aliphatic, aromatic and phenolic compounds. The thermal decomposition of the oil shale was studied using thermogravimetric analysis at heating rates of 10, 20, 30 and 50 °C min−1. The kinetic study of oil shale pyrolysis process was performed on the thermogravimetric data using three model-free isoconversional methods, viz. Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose. The reaction mechanisms were determined using the Criado master plot. The understanding of the composition of Indian oil shale and pyrolysis process kinetics can help establishing the experimental parameters for the extraction of valuable products from the oil shale.

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Abbreviations

AC:

Ash content

DTG:

Differential thermogravimetry

FC:

Fixed carbon

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

FWO:

Flynn–Wall–Ozawa

KAS:

Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose

MC:

Moisture content

TOC:

Total organic carbon

TG:

Thermogravimetric analysis

VM:

Volatile matter

XRD:

X-ray diffraction

A :

Pre-exponential factor (s−1)

C:

Carbon

E :

Activation energy (kJ mol−1)

f(α):

Reaction mechanism

g(α):

Integral form of reaction mechanism

H:

Hydrogen

k(T) or k :

Reaction rate constant (s−1)

N:

Nitrogen

R :

Gas constant (8.314 J mol−1 K−1)

S:

Sulfur

T :

Absolute temperature (K)

w o :

Initial mass

w T :

Mass at temperature, T

w α :

Mass at conversion, α

t :

Conversion time (s)

α :

Conversion degree

β :

Heating rate (°C min−1)

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to offer sincere thanks to Coal India Limited, NEC Coal Field, Margherita, Assam, for providing the samples and Assam Rifles for providing access into the coal mines for collecting the samples. Authors are immensely thankful to Sophisticated and Analytical Instruments Centre (SAIC) at Tezpur University and Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Guwahati for providing various analytical facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India

    Bhargav Baruah & Pankaj Tiwari

  2. Department of Energy, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, 784028, India

    Rupam Kataki

  3. Oil India Limited, Duliajan, Assam, 786602, India

    Parash Thakur

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  1. Bhargav Baruah
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Baruah, B., Kataki, R., Thakur, P. et al. Detailed physicochemical and thermochemical investigation of Upper Assam oil shale. J Therm Anal Calorim 138, 1221–1232 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08163-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08163-2

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