Characteristics of Estonian Oil Shale Kerogen and Its Pyrolysates with Thermal Bitumen as a Pyrolytic Intermediate

Preparation and collection of thermal bitumen, a pyrolytic intermediate, are key factors in elucidating the mechanism of oil shale pyrolysis. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), gas chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to investigate the thermochemical transformation in oil shale pyrolysis. Results showed that thermal bitumen was continuously generated and decomposed during the pyrolysis process. The maximum yield of thermal bitumen at 380 °C was 11.17%. EPR analysis showed that the g factor of kerogen and the pyrolysates was slightly higher than 2 and increased as pyrolysis progressed because of the aromatization of saturates and decarboxylation. CO2 and CO were mainly generated at temperatures lower than 340 °C, and less was obtained in the subsequent pyrolysis process. In contrast, C2–C5 organic gases were mainly genera...