Investigation of the catalytic effects of indigenous minerals in the pyrolysis of Aleksinac oil shale substrates: Steranes, triterpanes and triaromatic steroids in the pyrolysates

Abstract

Evidence for catalytic effects of indigenous minerals in the pyrolysis of Aleksinac oil shale kerogen was found by investigating the liquid products obtained in the Micro Activity Test (MAT) pyrolysis of raw shale and its demineralized substrates. By comparing the corresponding fragmentograms of a demineralized sample with those of a substrate containing only silicate minerals, differences in the side-chain isomerisation of the steranes and triterpanes, and in the side-chain cleavage of the triaromatic steroids were observed. These findings corroborated the previous conclusion, based on MAT parameters and TG weight losses, that the catalytic effect of the indigenous mineral components during the pyrolysis of Aleksinac oil shale kerogen is very low. © 1993.