Aqueous- and solid-phase molybdenum geochemistry of oil sands fluid petroleum coke deposits, Alberta, Canada

Valorization of fluid petroleum coke for efficient catalytic destruction of biomass gasification tar

Large volumes of waste petroleum coke stockpiled in open yard not only represent a huge loss of valuable material but also pose a significant risk to the environment. This work proposed an innovative strategy for waste petroleum coke valorization by exploring its catalytic performance of biomass gasification tar destruction. Waste petroleum coke was firstly activated by potassium hydroxide (KOH) to obtain high specific surface area as well as low sulfur and ash contents. Petroleum coke derived catalyst showed superior performance than a commercial activated carbon derived catalyst for destruction of naphthalene as the tar model compound. The petroleum coke derived catalyst exhibited 99.1% naphthalene destruction efficiency at 800 °C but deactivated quickly under N₂ atmosphere. Under H₂ and steam atmospheres, the catalytic activities were 98.6% and 96.5% for 8 h, respectively. To study the correlation between catalytic performance and the structure of carbon catalyst, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) analysis and Raman spectroscopy were performed on both fresh and spent catalysts. Results demonstrated that the hydrogen-rich groups (small rings and amorphous carbon) and oxygen-containing groups may account for the good resistance to coke deposition under H₂ and steam atmospheres.

Geochemical conditions influence vanadium, nickel, and molybdenum release from oil sands fluid petroleum coke

Petroleum coke is a potential source of vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), and molybdenum (Mo) to water resources in Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) of northern Alberta, Canada. Large stockpiles of this bitumen upgrading byproduct will be incorporated into mine closure landscapes and understanding the processes and conditions controlling the release and transport of these transition metals is critical for effective reclamation. We performed a series of laboratory column experiments to quantify V, Ni, and Mo release from fluid petroleum coke receiving meteoric water (MW), oil sands process-affected water (OSPW), and acid rock drainage (ARD) influents. We found that influent water chemistry strongly influences metal release, with variations among metals largely attributed to pH-dependent aqueous speciation and surface reactions. Cumulative V, Ni, and Mo mass release was greatest for columns receiving the low-pH ARD influent. Additionally, cumulative V and Mo mass release were greater in columns receiving OSPW compared to MW influent, whereas cumulative Ni mass release was greater in columns receiving MW compared to OSPW influent. Nevertheless, only a small proportion of total V, Ni, and Mo was released during the experiments, with the majority occurring during the first 10 pore volumes (PVs). This study offers insight into geochemical controls on V, Ni, and Mo release from fluid petroleum coke that supports ongoing development of oil sands mine reclamation strategies for landscapes that contain petroleum coke.

Characterization and source apportionment of airborne particulate elements in the Athabasca oil sands region

The oil sands industries in Alberta, Canada are potential sources of particulate-bound elements in the region. This study explored the ambient concentrations and size distributions, and conducted source apportionment of 48 particulate elements, based on samples collected in 2016-2017 at four air monitoring sites in the Athabasca oil sands region: Fort McKay (AMS1), Buffalo Viewpoint (AMS4), Wapasu Creek (AMS17), and Stoney Mountain (AMS18). Element concentrations in fine and coarse particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM_2.5-10 respectively) at the four sites were generally lower than their typical concentrations at other urban and industrial sites in North America. Among all elements, S was the most abundant in PM_2.5 with mean concentrations ranging from 189 ng/m³ (AMS18) to 284 ng/m³ (AMS1). Of the trace, toxic elements in PM_2.5, Zn was the most abundant with mean concentrations ranging from 3.43 ng/m³ (AMS18) to 5.37 ng/m³ (AMS4). Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modeling of the element concentrations in PM_2.5 was used for source apportionment for Zone1 (including AMS 1, 4, and 17, situated closer to industrial activities) and for Zone2 (including AMS18, a background site). The sources of elements for Zone1, included crustal dust, bitumen processing, haul road dust, and biomass burning that explained ~33%, ~43%, ~15%, and ~9% of the total resolved elemental mass, respectively. The sources of elements for Zone2, included Pb-rich source, biomass burning, fugitive oil sands, crustal dust, and bitumen processing explaining ~8%, ~7%, ~3%, ~22%, and ~60% of the total resolved elemental mass, respectively. Elemental mass concentrations of the bitumen processing source factor at Zone2 was two-thirds of that in Zone1. Overall, mass proportions of the bitumen processing source factor at all four sites were significant, suggesting that the oil sands industries played a key role in ambient element concentration levels in the region.

Solid acid catalysts produced by sulfonation of petroleum coke: Dominant role of aromatic hydrogen

Carbon based solid waste materials have been intensively investigated for the preparation of solid acid catalysts through sulfonation, but the acidity varies significantly depending on the material. In this study, the role of aromatic hydrogen in sulfonation with concentrated H₂SO₄ was investigated using petroleum coke (petcoke), graphite, and biochar as the carbon materials. Through ball milling and calcination, the amount of aromatic hydrogen on the petcoke could be increased or decreased, respectively. After sulfonation at 80 °C with concentrated H₂SO₄, the produced acidity (i.e., -SO₃H groups) increased as the amount of aromatic hydrogen increased from essentially no acidity on graphite to 0.55 mmol/g on biochar and 1.25 mmol/g on petcoke (particle sizes of 45-90 μm) indicating the importance of aromatic hydrogen during sulfonation. Calcination (350 °C for 1 h) of the petcoke before sulfonation decreased the acidity to 0.59 mmol/g, while ball milling (with isopropanol and silica for 24 h) increased the acidity to 3.73 mmol/g. The sulfonated petcoke samples were used as catalysts for the esterification reaction between octanoic acid and methanol at 60 °C and the turnover frequencies were 48-85 h^-1. The results give insights on the preparation of solid acid catalysts from carbon materials and highlight the application of petcoke without activation as a feedstock for esterification catalysts.

Molybdenum threshold for ecosystem scale alternative vanadium nitrogenase activity in boreal forests

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is responsible for large new N inputs to terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in pristine, high-latitude areas undergoing rapid global change. The most common form of nitrogenase requires molybdenum (Mo) and Mo limitation of BNF is ubiquitous. Mo-free alternative forms of nitrogenase exist, but their roles in environmental BNF have remained uncertain. This study on N₂-fixing cyanolichens provides extensive field evidence, at an ecosystem scale, that vanadium (V)-based nitrogenase greatly contributes to BNF when Mo availability is limited. Mo exposure data in circumboreal forests further suggest that V-based BNF is widespread. The results showcase the resilience of BNF to micronutrient limitation and reveal strong links between the biogeochemical cycle of macronutrients and micronutrients in terrestrial ecosystems.

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by microorganisms associated with cryptogamic covers, such as cyanolichens and bryophytes, is a primary source of fixed nitrogen in pristine, high-latitude ecosystems. On land, low molybdenum (Mo) availability has been shown to limit BNF by the most common form of nitrogenase (Nase), which requires Mo in its active site. Vanadium (V) and iron-only Nases have been suggested as viable alternatives to countering Mo limitation of BNF; however, field data supporting this long-standing hypothesis have been lacking. Here, we elucidate the contribution of vanadium nitrogenase (V-Nase) to BNF by cyanolichens across a 600-km latitudinal transect in eastern boreal forests of North America. Widespread V-Nase activity was detected (∼15–50% of total BNF rates), with most of the activity found in the northern part of the transect. We observed a 3-fold increase of V-Nase contribution during the 20-wk growing season. By including the contribution of V-Nase to BNF, estimates of new N input by cyanolichens increase by up to 30%. We find that variability in V-based BNF is strongly related to Mo availability, and we identify a Mo threshold of ∼250 ng·g_lichen⁻¹ for the onset of V-based BNF. Our results provide compelling ecosystem-scale evidence for the use of the V-Nase as a surrogate enzyme that contributes to BNF when Mo is limiting. Given widespread findings of terrestrial Mo limitation, including the carbon-rich circumboreal belt where global change is most rapid, additional consideration of V-based BNF is required in experimental and modeling studies of terrestrial biogeochemistry.