CO2 gasification and pyrolysis reactivity evaluation of oil shale

Abstract This research focuses on the non-isothermal CO 2 gasification and pyrolysis reactivity via thermogravimetric analysis. It was found that CO 2 decreased activation energy of all four types of oil shale (Fushun, Jinzhou, Wulin, Xingsheng). Activation energy of XS oil shale was highly reduced from 59.86 kJ/mol to 9.48 kJ/mol. Reactivity index results showed that WL and XS oil shales were observed to be more dependent on CO 2 atmosphere. Alkali metal oxide also contributed to thermal decomposition according to thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTG) curves during CO 2 gasification process. Overall, CO 2 atmosphere can be used to improve oil shale decomposition, especially for alkali- rich shales, while providing an efficient and effective means to convert greenhouse gases into useful fuels.