Kinetics and reactor design in the pyrolysis of tar sands

<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>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering

Grantor

University of Missouri--Rolla

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Lechner, Charles Arthur

• Chemical Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/581

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsmine.mst.edu:doctoral_dissertations-1583