High-performance, low-cost porous carbons from oil sands petroleum coke

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Applying a waste-treat-waste strategy, the goal of this project is to develop new technologies that enable large-scale manufacturing of high-performance, affordable porous carbons from a major industry waste - oil sands petroleum coke (OSPC). The OSPC-derived porous carbons will be used by the oil sands industry to reduce its dependence on fresh water. The developments in Athabasca oil sands region will contribute $2.28 trillion to Canada's economy from 2010 to 2035. While the increased quantities of synthetic crude oil (SCO) are being produced from the bitumen mined from oil sands, large amounts of oil sands petroleum coke (OSPC) and oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) are also generated. To produce one barrel of SCO, about 20kg of OSPC are generated and stored on site, adding to the existing stockpiles of over 70 million metric tons. The OSPC has uniquely high impurity contents, particularly sulphur and heavy metals, which has hindered its application as a solid fuel. A result of the Alberta government's "zero discharge" policy, over 700 million cubic meters of toxic OSPW are stored on-site. Four groups of contaminants are found in OSPW- suspended solids, free phase hydrocarbons, dissolved organics and dissolved solids. Dissolved organics are responsible for the toxicity of OSPW. If made affordable, OSPC-derived porous carbon materials will be ideal for removing dissolved organics in OSPW. Using porous carbon is a mature technology for water purification in municipal and consumer applications. Commercial porous carbon, however, is too expensive for treating industrial waste waters due to high contamination levels that demand a large amount of porous carbons. Addressing both cost-effectiveness of the manufacturing process and performance of OSPC-derived porous carbons, this project will enable the creation of porous carbons that are affordable and readily available in large quantities. In addition to the anticipated utilization of the OSPC-derived carbons in treating OSPW, one could also envisage other large-scale applications such as land reclamation. The project will simultaneously deliver environmental and economic benefits to Canada's oil sand industry and beyond.