THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION OF ATHABASCA TAR SAND AND BITUMEN

A study has been made of the thermal cracking of Athabasca tar sand an d bitumen in an inert atmosphere of He at temperatures between 350 deg rees C and 550 degrees C. The products were collected in a cold water trap and analysed by gas chromatography (G.C.). ESR studies were also made of the residue. The G.C. analysis showed that n-paraffinic hydroc arbons from C-5 to at least C-21 were present in the liquid product. A t temperatures greater than 400 degrees C, the concentration of n-para ffins (C-1O-C-21) decreased with the increase in their molecular weigh t. No significant effect of the inorganic matrix of tar sand was notic ed on the products obtained when compared with the products obtained f rom bitumen. The number of spins/g of the stable organic free radical in the residue was directly related to the formation of n-paraffins. T he maximum amount of n-paraffins was formed when tar sand and bitumen were cracked at 450 degrees C. The residue obtained from tar sand at t emperatures greater than 450 degrees C gave a broad resonance at g con gruent to 2.267 and width, Delta H-pp = 1400 G. The physical structure of the residue obtained on the thermal cracking of tar sand and bitum en was found by reflected light microscopy and found to depend on the cracking temperature.