PYROLYSIS KINETICS OF NORTH-KOREAN OIL SHALE

In this paper, the kinetics of pyrolysis of North-Korean oil shale was investigated. Fischer Assay analysis showed that the oil yield of oil shale sample was 12.14 wt%. Thermogravimetry was applied to the analysis of pyrolysis of oil shale at the heating rates of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 degrees C/min. The kinetic parameters (apparent activation energy E and frequency factor A) were determined by the Friedman procedure, maximum pyrolysis rate method and parallel reactions model, respectively. Based on the Friedman procedure the values of apparent activation energy E were found to range from 209 kJ/mol to 359 kJ/mol and frequency factor A from 6.32 x 10(12) to 1.99 x 10(20).min(-1). It was shown by the maximum pyrolysis rate method that E and A were respectively 191.52 kJ/mol and 1.51 x 10(13).min(-1). As determined by the parallel reactions model, the values of apparent activation energy were mainly between 130 kJ/mol and 240 kJ/mol. The plot of In A vs E for oil shale pyrolysis was a straight line.