Release performance and kinetic behavior of volatile products from controlled pressure pyrolysis of oil shale in nitrogen atmosphere

The gas injection parameters such as temperature, pressure and duration during the in-situ pyrolysis of oil shale are important factors that affect the pore evolution and product release characteristics of oil shale. This paper takes Huadian oil shale as a sample, uses pressurized thermogravimetry and pressurized fluidized bed experimental device to explore the influence of temperature, pressure and time on the evolution of pore structure under high-pressure nitrogen injection conditions, and analyzes the influence mechanism of pore structure evolution on the release and kinetic behavior of volatile products. The results show that in the range of 623–673 K, the effective oil recovery of oil shale pyrolysis under high pressure increases from 30.5 to 96.0% with the extension of temperature and pyrolysis time, and the average activation energy is 346.8 kJ/mol, which is higher than the activation energy of 306.6 kJ/mol under normal pressure pyrolysis. Under high pressure, the release process of volatile products is inhibited, resulting in the intensification of the secondary reaction of products and the reduction of olefin content. In addition, the primary pores of kerogen are prone to coking reaction and collapse of plastic structure, so that some large pores become microporous structure, and the average pore size and specific surface area are reduced.