Liquefaction of Harbul (Silopi SE Anatolia, Turkey) Asphaltite by Flash Pyrolysis

Abstract

Asphaltite, being petroleum originated solid fossil fuel, can be converted into a variety of secondary products such as light hydrocarbon gases, liquid product and high quality fuel char by means of pyrolysis. Liquefaction of Harbul (Silopi, Turkey) asphaltite,-0.60+0.25 mm particle size, and using flash pyrolysis was performed in a fixed bed reactor with a heating rate 40°C min−1 at a temperature ranging from 400 to 800°C under nitrogen atmosphere. The effect of temperature on conversion and liquid yield was examined. The flash pyrolysis temperature resulted in a large increase in the oil yield, tar, gases, large increase in the yield of hydrocarbon gases occurred as a result of temperature at 550°C which was attributed to an increase thermal cracking of pyrolysis vapours. The yield of asphaltite liquid at the condition of 550°C reached a maximum 19.66 wt %. The asphaltenes of the pyrolytic oils were precipitated by addition of n-pentane. Pentane solubles were fractioned by column chromatography into aliphatic, aromatic and polar fractions using n-hexane, toluene and methanol, respectively. The composition of these fractions from silica gel column chromatography of oil obtained by nitrogen pyrolysis was characterized by FTIR.