Аннотация
Background: The significance of this study stems from the necessity to broaden the hydrocarbon resource base as conventional oil reserves are steadily declining. Consequently, alternative sources like oil shale, which boast global reserves far exceeding those of traditional oil, have become a focal point of interest. Furthermore, incorporating fuel oil into composite feedstock’s addresses the challenge of efficiently processing heavy oil residues, converting them into high-value motor fuel components. Aim: Determining the effect of composite feedstock composition (shale/fuel oil) on thermal degradation parameters and investigating the physicochemical properties of the resulting products for their further application as motor fuel components. Materials and Methods: The study objects included oil shale from the Kenderlyk deposit (East Kazakhstan Region, JSC “Quartz”) and petroleum fuel oil from the Pavlodar refinery (Northeastern Kazakhstan). The hydrogenation process was studied using two types of equipment: in a rotating 2-liter autoclave and on a bench-scale flow-through unit (reactor volume 0.8 L). For the disposal of sludge (solid liquefaction residue), the pyrolysis method was used in a flow-through apparatus with a descending layer of solid heat carrier. Results: Analysis of experimental data showed that increasing the hydrogenation temperature of oil shale from 410 to 440°C (at P = 8 MPa) intensifies gas formation from 10.2 to 12.2 wt.% and almost doubles hydrogen consumption to 1.6 wt.%, contributing to an increase in the yield of gasoline and diesel fractions. It was found that increasing the hydrogen pressure within the range of 4.0–8.0 MPa has a positive effect on the performance: the organic mass of shale (OMS) increases by 20%, while the yields of liquid products, gas, and water rise to 50.4, 10.5, and 7.7 wt.%, respectively. A further increase in pressure beyond 8.0 MPa is impractical, as it does not significantly affect the process. Optimization of the parameters of thermocatalytic processing of a mixture of fuel oil and shale made it possible to identify the best conditions: temperature 420°C, time 60 min, and concentration of shale as an activating additive 12 wt.%. In this mode, the total distillate yield reaches 59.2% by mass. Conclusion: The fundamental feasibility and high efficiency of the co-processing of oil shale and heavy petroleum residues have been proven. The resulting liquid degradation products possess optimal physicochemical properties for the subsequent compounded processing of solid fossil fuels. They serve as a direct alternative to the scarce components of highly marketable motor fuels.