Kinetic studies of oxidation of residual carbon from Moroccan oil shale kerogens

Residual carbons from kerogen extracted from two Moroccan oil shales (from Timahdit and Tarfaya) were oxidized in air. The oxidations were studied by isothermal thermogravimetry. Several kinetic models for mechanisms of the reactions were tested to fit the experimental data. Oxidation of the residual carbon derived from Timahdit oil shale followed a two-third order reaction with an activation energy of 58.5 kJ mol(-1), whilst that from Tarfaya oil shale was a half order reaction with activation energy of 64.1 kJ mol(-1).