CLOSED PYROLYSES OF THE ISOPRENOID ALGAENAN OF BOTRYOCOCCUS BRAUNII, L RACE: GEOCHEMICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR DERIVED KEROGENS

Abstract

Algaenans, i.e., highly aliphatic, nonhydrolysable, insoluble macromolecular constituents, have been identified in a number of microalga cell walls and their selective preservation shown to play a major role in the formation of numerous kerogens. All the algaenans so far examined comprise a network of long polymethylenic chains, except for the L race of Botryococcus braunii. The resistant macromolecular material isolated from the latter, termed PRB L, is based on C40 isoprenoid chains with a lycopane-type skeleton. Recent comparative studies of PRB L and of Botryococcus-derived sediments provided the first example of kerogen formation via the selective preservation of an ''isoprenoid'' algaenan. The present study is concerned with PRB L pyrolyses in sealed gold tubes under various temperature/time conditions (260-350°C, 0.5-69 h). For the conversion rates thus obtained, ranging from 30 to 100%, a complete mass balance of the different families of pyrolysis products was established; most of the C1 to C40 pyrolysate constituents were identified and the abundances of the above compounds and their variations with conversion progress were determined. This study thus allowed us (1) to derive further information about PRB L chemical structure (location of the ether bridges, contribution of linear chains and their relationships with the C40 isoprenoid ones), (2) to determine the behaviour of this isoprenoid algaenan to thermal stress (timing of the formation of the different groups of products then released, nature of the primary cleavages, origin and mode of formation of the secondary products, and further degradations), and (3) to show, in connection with previous studies, that PRB L-derived kerogens should exhibit pronounced differences relative to standard type I kerogens, the latter being based on polymethylenic chains, regarding not only the structure of the generated products but also the timing of oil generation (upward shift of the catagenesis zone).