Experimental and Computational Demonstration of a Low-Temperature Waste to By-Product Conversion of U.S. Oil Shale Semi-Coke to a Flue Gas Sorbent

Kathleen Dupre, Emily M. Ryan, Azat Suleimenov and Jillian L. Goldfarb
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Kathleen Dupre: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, 110 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Emily M. Ryan: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, 110 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Azat Suleimenov: Division of Materials Science & Engineering, Boston University, 15 Saint Mary’s St., Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Jillian L. Goldfarb: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, 110 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: The volatility of crude oil prices incentivizes the use of domestic alternative fossil fuel sources such as oil shale. For ex situ oil shale retorting to be economically and environmentally viable, we must convert the copious amounts of semi-coke waste to an environmentally benign, useable by-product. Using acid and acid + base treatments, we increased the surface area of the semi-coke samples from 15 m 2 /g (pyrolyzed semi-coke) to upwards of 150 m 2 /g for hydrochloric acid washed semi-coke. This enhancement in porosity and surface area is accomplished without high temperature treatment, which lowers the overall energy required for such a conversion. XRD analysis confirms that chemical treatments removed the majority of dolomite while retaining other carbonate minerals and maintaining carbon contents of approximately 10%, which is greater than many fly ashes that are commonly used as sorbent materials. SO 2 gas adsorption isotherm analysis determined that a double HCl treatment of semi-coke produces sorbents for flue gas treatment with higher SO 2 capacities than commonly used fly ash adsorbents. Computational fluid dynamics modeling indicates that the sorbent material could be used in a fixed bed reactor to efficiently remove SO 2 from the gas stream.

Keywords: oil shale; semi-coke; activation; flue gas; sorbent; sulfur dioxide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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