The chemistry and mineralogy of the Negev oil shale ashes

The characteristic feature of the oil shale ashes produced by fluidized bed combustion (700-800 °C) in PAMA's demonstration power plant is the large amount of amorphous phases, Ca-Al-silicates and Al-silicates, together with anhydrite and lime. Practically all the S and heavy metals in the oil shales are retained in the ash, which, from an ecological point of view, is important. Two kinds of ashes were examined: industrial ashes produced at PAMA's demonstration plant and ashes produced in laboratory experiments. Three different types of ash are produced at the demonstration plant. Ash Cooler (AC), which is comparable to bottom ash in coal power plants. This ash is produced from oil shale subjected to the lowest temperatures and is the most coarse-grained. It contains relatively larger quantities of unaltered minerals (calcite, clays, apatite, etc.) than the other two. The two other ashes Boiler Bank (BB) and Fly Ash (FAS) are not much different from each other and both may be compared to fly ash in coal power plants. Both BB and FAS ashes contain more authigenic (formed in the boiler) phases than AC. The results of the laboratory experiments show that the main factor in the raw material controlling the mineralogy and chemistry of the oil shale ashes is the Al₂O₃ concentration (clay content), and not the organic matter concentration.