Pyrolysis and gasification kinetics of Jordanian oil-shales

Two Jordanian oil-shale samples have been pyrolysed and gasified, non-isothermally, using a thermogravimetric analyser. The controlling parameters studied were the final temperature and influence of particle size as well as the heating rate employed during the process of thermal degradation of the oil-shale sample. The integral method was used in the analysis of weight-loss data to determine the pyrolysis and gasification kinetics. Within experimental error, a slightly greater weight loss occurred during the devolitlization phase when carbon dioxide was used instead of nitrogen to purge the system. The magnitude of the weight loss was dependent on the final temperature, as well as, to a lesser extent, on the heating rate employed. Increasing the latter resulted in the reaction ensuing at higher temperatures. Gasification and pyrolysis of the investigated shales complied with first-order kinetics: the activation energy and temperature at which the maximum reactivity rate occurred decreased slightly as the shale-particle size was reduced. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.