AN EXPERIMENTAL-DESIGN TO OPTIMIZE PYROLYSIS CONDITIONS OF TIMAHDIT (MOROCCO) OIL-SHALE

An experimental design was carried out to determine the influence of s ample weight, final temperature, initial gas pressure, heating rate, r esidence time and nature of the pyrolysis atmosphere on the yield and composition of pyrolysis shale oil. The study involved discontinuous p yrolysis procedures. The most influential factors were determined and the first-order interactions between them were analysed. The results o btained were exploited, using response surface methodology, to optimiz e the experimental conditions of pyrolysis. The main finding is that t he percentages of the oils (>240% of the Fischer assay which provides 70 lt(-1) of oil) and their quality (asphaltenes, paraffins, etc.) are very satisfactory. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.