Pyrolysis behavior of Indonesia oil sand by TG-FTIR and in a fixed bed reactor

•High temperature plays an important role in the pyrolysis of oil sand, the pyrolysis behaviors of oil sand from Indonesia were investigated using the thermogravimetry. In this technique, a sample is weighed continuously as it is heated at a constant rate. Thermal methods providing information about net results of mass loss, the pyrolysis process of oil sand can be summarized as three stages: water evaporation, devolatilization and decomposition of residues.•The thermal performance of oil sand was examined by TG-FTIR, concerning the distribution of prominent compounds and their variation against reaction temperatures. The advantages of pyrolysis coupled with FTIR technique can availably prevent the second reaction coming up. Therefore, it is direct to know what products from oil sand pyrolysis at the expected temperature.•To provide a survey of the yields from reactions occurring in the oil sand as a function of temperature, a individual analysis with evolved gas analysis from 30 to 900 °C was presented, the major evolved species are CH4, CO2, CO and H2. Theoretically, the kinetic parameters of individual gas are obtained based on the nonlinear least-squares fitting method, the activation energy E and frequency factor A of pyrolysis product gases are solved.•Oil sand pyrolysis was carried out in a vertical fixed bed reactor from 200 to 750 °C at an interval of 100 °C. The volatile matter during oil sand pyrolysis was brought out from the reactor to the cool trap where the liquid products were cooled, and the gas was collected in a gas bag for further analysis. The solid char was collected from the reactor after experiment and weighed.•In order to gain better understanding of association of volatile evolution and chemical structure of oil sand, the chemical structure of sample was characterized by means of elemental analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. The peaks of oil sand and char in FTIR spectroscopy remain constant, but the amplitudes change with the functional group concentration. The major functional groups are oxygen-containing functional groups, including hydroxyl, methoxy and carboxyl groups.

The pyrolysis behaviors of oil sand from Indonesia were investigated by thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier Transform infrared Spectrophotometer(TG-FTIR) and in a fixed bed reactor, respectively. Little differences in the mass losses with heating rates were observed. From thermogravi-metric analysis it was established that oil sand pyrolysis consisted of three main stages: water evaporation, devolatilization and decomposition of residues. The evolved gas by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) coupled to the thermobalance was conducted for the identification of the gaseous species and their evolution profiles during oil sand thermal degradation. The results revealed that the main gases and volatile products released are CO2, CO, H2 and CH4, etc. Theoretically, kinetic parameters of gas products were calculated. Pyrolysis experiments of oil sand were conducted in a fixed-bed reactor to obtain the oil sand char at different terminal temperature. The FTIR experiment was performed to analyze various functional groups of solid samples. The aromatic hydrocarbon, aliphatic hydrocarbon, hydroxyl and the oxygen functional groups were determined. Each functional group curve was analyzed to receive the degree of rich hydrogen, the structure of the aliphatic hydrocarbon, aromaticity and other parameters.