Trace Elements in the Products by Retorting Thailand and Colorado Oil Shales

Abstract

Organic and inorganic pollutants in oil shales, spent shales, retort waters and shale oils produced by retorting of oil shales from Thailand and Colorado were analyzed to study the trend in the distribution and contents of the pollutants in these products. As a result, 65wt% of Pb and 95wt% of As were found in the spent shale, and the oil contained a maximum of 15ppm of As. The content of As in the oil decreased with increase in the pressure of hydrogen during retorting of the oil shale. Pb, Mn, Cr and V, which are potentially poisonous to oil refining catalysts, were not detected in both shale oils, and the contents of other metals were less than 10ppm.