PROPERTIES OF VACUUM RESIDUAL FRACTIONS FROM AUSTRALIAN SHALE OILS COMPARED WITH A PETROLEUM BITUMEN

Crude shale oils derived from oil shale deposits at Julia Creek, Stuart and Rundle in Australia were processed to produce vacuum residual bitumens. The properties of these bitumens were compared with those of a petroleum bitumen. All were subjected to solvent extraction to produce asphaltene, maltene, and polar and naphthenic aromatic fractions. Elemental analysis and molecular weight distributions were determined for all samples. Julia Creek bitumen was found to have a lower hydrogen to carbon ratio and higher aromaticity than the others. Rundle and Stuart samples had many properties similar to those of the petroleum bitumen, including those based on the standard bitumen tests for penetration and Ring and Ball temperature. Further research is justified to establish the potential of shale oil as a source of road making bitumen. © 1990.