Gas Evolution from the Pyrolysis of Jordan Oil Shale in A Fixed-bed Reactor

Jordan oil shale from El-Lajjun deposit was pyrolysed in a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor and the influence of the pyrolysis temperature between 400 to 620°C and the influence of the pyrolysis atmosphere using nitrogen and nitrogen/steam on the product yield and gas composition were investigated. The gases analysed were H₂, CO, CO₂ and hydrocarbons from C₁ to C₄. The results showed for both nitrogen and nitrogen/steam that increase the pyrolysis bed temperature from 400 to 520°C resulted in a significant increase in the oil yield, after which temperature the oil yield decreased. The alkene/alkane ratio including ethene/ethane, propene/propane, and butene/butane ratios, can be used as an indication of pyrolysis temperature and the magnitude of cracking reactions. Increasing alkene/alkane ratio occurring with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The alkene/alkane ratio for nitrogen/steam pyrolysis atmosphere was lower than the one found under nitrogen atmosphere. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.