Activation of Delayed and Fluid Petroleum Coke for the Adsorption and Removal of Naphthenic Acids from Oil Sands Tailings Pond Water

• Author / Creator

  Small, Christina

• Oil sands companies produce substantial quantities of tailings known to contain high concentrations of dissolved organic by-products. The use of petroleum coke was proposed as a potential adsorbent for organic contaminant removal from tailings pond water. Physical activation was used to create a greater surface area and porosity within the delayed and fluid coke. Increased temperature (900oC), steam rate (0.5 mL/min), and activated time (6 h) led to high iodine numbers of 670 and 620 mg/g for activated delayed and fluid cokes, respectively. For both best activated cokes, the micropore to mesopore ratio was approximately 50:50. When 5 g/L of activated delayed and fluid cokes were added to the tailings water, 91% of the dissolved organic carbon and 92% of the naphthenic acids were removed. Such analyses indicate that an oil sands waste by-product can be used to treat tailings pond water to remove toxic and corrosive organic contaminants.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Activation
  • Adsorption
  • Naphthenic acids
  • Petroleum coke

• Graduation date

  Spring 2011

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3K07S

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.