High Throughput Screening and Characterization Methods of Jordanian Oil Shale as a Case Study

Ziad Abu El-Rub, Joanna Kujawa, Esra’a Albarahmieh, Nafisah Al-Rifai, Fathieh Qaimari and Samer Al-Gharabli
Additional contact information
Ziad Abu El-Rub: Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering Department, German Jordanian University, Amman 11180, Jordan
Joanna Kujawa: Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Esra’a Albarahmieh: Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering Department, German Jordanian University, Amman 11180, Jordan
Nafisah Al-Rifai: Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering Department, German Jordanian University, Amman 11180, Jordan
Fathieh Qaimari: Chemical and Mineral Analysis Division, Jordan Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, P.O. Box 7, Amman 11118, Jordan
Samer Al-Gharabli: Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering Department, German Jordanian University, Amman 11180, Jordan

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: Oil shale is an important possible solution to the problem of energy in Jordan. To explore the technical and the economic feasibility of oil shale deposits, numerous samples are analyzed using the standard Fischer Assay (FA) method. However, it would be useful to develop faster, cheaper, and reliable methods for determining the oil content of oil shale. Therefore, the aim of this work was to propose and investigate rapid analytical techniques for the screening of oil shale deposits and to correlate them with the FA method. The Omari deposit located east of Jordan was selected as a case study for analysis using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) coupled with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Results obtained from the TGA method were linearly correlated with FA with high regression factor ( R 2 = 0.99); a quadratic correlation ( R 2 = 0.98) was maintained between the FA and the elemental hydrogen mass content, and a quadratic correlation ( R 2 = 0.97) was found between the FA and the aliphatic hydrocarbons (FTIR peak at 2927 cm −1 ) produced in the pyrolysis zone. Although other techniques were less correlated, further investigation might lead to better results. Subsequently, these correlated techniques can be a practical alternative to the conventional FA method when, in particular, specific correlation is made for each deposit.

Keywords: oil shale; Jordan; TGA; FTIR; DSC; elemental analysis; XRF; XRD; SEM; EDX (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: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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