\"Data from the thermal decomposition of bitumen from Utah tar sands was obtained and analysed with both isothermal and non-isothermal chemical reaction models. The use of a power rate law to describe the complex kinetics of pyrolysis gave agreement with the experimental data that was approximate, but adequate for design purposes. The results indicated a reaction rate that was second order in bitumen content, with an activation energy of about 17 to 20 kcal/gmol.
Data for the boiling point distribution of the products was consistent with a change of mechanism from vaporization to pyrolysis as the samples are heated. Higher heating rates gave a lower boiling product, with less contained sulfur, arsenic, and nitrogen. A chromatographic study of the types of compounds in the product indicated that pyrolysis begins at about 350°C. Approximately 20% of the bitumen was found to form coke during pyrolysis. The size of the tar sand particles was found to have a small effect on the rate of weight loss for the particle sizes studied.
Calculations of reactor volumes and process flow rates for a proposed bitumen pyrolysis/coke combustion process indicate the feasibility of using the coke combustion heat as the sole energy source. Study of the transient temperature behavior of a reacting tar sand pellet indicated that instantaneous heating is a satisfactory assumption for particles small enough to have small oxygen diffusion limitations on the combustion rate\"--Abstract, page ii.
","abstract_html":"<p>"Data from the thermal decomposition of bitumen from Utah tar sands was obtained and analysed with both isothermal and non-isothermal chemical reaction models. The use of a power rate law to describe the complex kinetics of pyrolysis gave agreement with the experimental data that was approximate, but adequate for design purposes. The results indicated a reaction rate that was second order in bitumen content, with an activation energy of about 17 to 20 kcal/gmol.</p> <p>Data for the boiling point distribution of the products was consistent with a change of mechanism from vaporization to pyrolysis as the samples are heated. Higher heating rates gave a lower boiling product, with less contained sulfur, arsenic, and nitrogen. A chromatographic study of the types of compounds in the product indicated that pyrolysis begins at about 350°C. Approximately 20% of the bitumen was found to form coke during pyrolysis. The size of the tar sand particles was found to have a small effect on the rate of weight loss for the particle sizes studied.</p> <p>Calculations of reactor volumes and process flow rates for a proposed bitumen pyrolysis/coke combustion process indicate the feasibility of using the coke combustion heat as the sole energy source. Study of the transient temperature behavior of a reacting tar sand pellet indicated that instantaneous heating is a satisfactory assumption for particles small enough to have small oxygen diffusion limitations on the combustion rate"--Abstract, page ii.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lechner, Charles Arthur"],"institution":"University of Missouri--Rolla","degree_name":"Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-02-10T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-02-10T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:18:57Z","subjects":["Chemical Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/581","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lechner, Charles Arthur"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-02-10T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Missouri--Rolla"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Chemical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/581"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["\"Data from the thermal decomposition of bitumen from Utah tar sands was obtained and analysed with both isothermal and non-isothermal chemical reaction models. The use of a power rate law to describe the complex kinetics of pyrolysis gave agreement with the experimental data that was approximate, but adequate for design purposes. The results indicated a reaction rate that was second order in bitumen content, with an activation energy of about 17 to 20 kcal/gmol.
Data for the boiling point distribution of the products was consistent with a change of mechanism from vaporization to pyrolysis as the samples are heated. Higher heating rates gave a lower boiling product, with less contained sulfur, arsenic, and nitrogen. A chromatographic study of the types of compounds in the product indicated that pyrolysis begins at about 350°C. Approximately 20% of the bitumen was found to form coke during pyrolysis. The size of the tar sand particles was found to have a small effect on the rate of weight loss for the particle sizes studied.
Calculations of reactor volumes and process flow rates for a proposed bitumen pyrolysis/coke combustion process indicate the feasibility of using the coke combustion heat as the sole energy source. Study of the transient temperature behavior of a reacting tar sand pellet indicated that instantaneous heating is a satisfactory assumption for particles small enough to have small oxygen diffusion limitations on the combustion rate\"--Abstract, page ii.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Kinetics and reactor design in the pyrolysis of tar sands"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Lechner, Charles Arthur"],"dc:date.available":["2016-02-10T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["\"Data from the thermal decomposition of bitumen from Utah tar sands was obtained and analysed with both isothermal and non-isothermal chemical reaction models. The use of a power rate law to describe the complex kinetics of pyrolysis gave agreement with the experimental data that was approximate, but adequate for design purposes. The results indicated a reaction rate that was second order in bitumen content, with an activation energy of about 17 to 20 kcal/gmol.
Data for the boiling point distribution of the products was consistent with a change of mechanism from vaporization to pyrolysis as the samples are heated. Higher heating rates gave a lower boiling product, with less contained sulfur, arsenic, and nitrogen. A chromatographic study of the types of compounds in the product indicated that pyrolysis begins at about 350°C. Approximately 20% of the bitumen was found to form coke during pyrolysis. The size of the tar sand particles was found to have a small effect on the rate of weight loss for the particle sizes studied.
Calculations of reactor volumes and process flow rates for a proposed bitumen pyrolysis/coke combustion process indicate the feasibility of using the coke combustion heat as the sole energy source. Study of the transient temperature behavior of a reacting tar sand pellet indicated that instantaneous heating is a satisfactory assumption for particles small enough to have small oxygen diffusion limitations on the combustion rate\"--Abstract, page ii.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/581"],"dc:subject":["Chemical Engineering"],"dc:title":["Kinetics and reactor design in the pyrolysis of tar sands"],"dc:type":["Dissertation - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Missouri--Rolla"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:18:57Z"}