CA1085760A - Process for recovering bitumen from tar sand - Google Patents
Process for recovering bitumen from tar sandInfo
- Publication number
- CA1085760A CA1085760A CA245,340A CA245340A CA1085760A CA 1085760 A CA1085760 A CA 1085760A CA 245340 A CA245340 A CA 245340A CA 1085760 A CA1085760 A CA 1085760A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- bitumen
- slurry
- drum
- set forth
- water
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10G1/00—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal
- C10G1/04—Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction
- C10G1/047—Hot water or cold water extraction processes
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
- C10C—WORKING-UP PITCH, ASPHALT, BITUMEN, TAR; PYROLIGNEOUS ACID
- C10C3/00—Working-up pitch, asphalt, bitumen
- C10C3/007—Working-up pitch, asphalt, bitumen winning and separation of asphalt from mixtures with aggregates, fillers and other products, e.g. winning from natural asphalt and regeneration of waste asphalt
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Tar sand is mixed with steam and water in a conventional manner to produce a slurry. The slurry is then transferred into a perforated drum rotating in a water bath.
The sand particles drop through the perforations and are col-lected from the base of the bath and discarded. The bitumen moves to the oleophilic inside surface of the submerged portion of the drum wall and adheres thereto. When the coated surface rotates out of the slurry, the adhering bitumen is collected.
The process gives a good recovery of a bitumen product which has acceptable quantities of solid and water contamination. The temperature of separation and water requirements are reduced in comparison to the prior art.
Tar sand is mixed with steam and water in a conventional manner to produce a slurry. The slurry is then transferred into a perforated drum rotating in a water bath.
The sand particles drop through the perforations and are col-lected from the base of the bath and discarded. The bitumen moves to the oleophilic inside surface of the submerged portion of the drum wall and adheres thereto. When the coated surface rotates out of the slurry, the adhering bitumen is collected.
The process gives a good recovery of a bitumen product which has acceptable quantities of solid and water contamination. The temperature of separation and water requirements are reduced in comparison to the prior art.
Description
108~t7~0 This invention relates to a process for extracting bitumen from oil sand.
~itumen is presently commercially extracted from Alberta oil sand using the hot water process. In accordance with this process, the oil sand is first mixed with hot water and steam in a rotating horizontal conditioning drum. In this operation, the components of the oil sand (i.e. bitumen, water and solids) are dispersed by a combination of heating and dilution with water. More particularly, the heated oil sand comprises water-wet grains having oil trapped therebetween -as water is added, the water phase swells and the sand grains collect therein; the bitumen agglomerates and forms discrete drops.
The slurry formed in the conditioning drum is then diluted with additional water and introduced into a separation ~ -vessel. This vessel has a cylindrical body and a conical bottom. Here the coarse sand grains drop to the bottom of the vessel and are removed througll an outlet as a relatively dry tailings stream. This stxeam is discarded into a pond system.
The bitumen, which is slightly less dense than water at the process temperature, attaches itself to air bubbles entrained in the slurry, rises through the vessel contents and forms a froth product. This product overflows the vessel wall into ~i a launder and is collected.
There are several problems of interest in the ~ -existing process. Firstly, there are difficulties connected ¦ with the bitumen flotation operation going on in the separation vessel. More particularly, if a large concentration of solids is presen~ in the contents of the separation vessel, these solids will impede the upward progress of the aerated bitumen.
, ,, ~,, ~ . . . . .
1~85760 Therefore, in order for the aerated bitumen to rise ~uickly through the vessel contents, it is desirable to have a dilute system within the vessel. This means that a relatively large amount of water must therefore be used in the process. Since this water must be heated to about 180F , the energy require-ments of the process are therefore increased as the water content is increased. Because large amounts of water are intro-duced into the process, it is necessary to withdraw a middlings dragstream from the midpoint of the vessel to maintain a balance.
This middlings dragstream is treated in a sub-aerated flotation cell, to recover contained bitumen, and is then discarded into the pond system. Unfortunately, fine solids (-325 mesh) associ-ated with the oil sand pass through the process and end up suspended in the tailings water in the pond system. These fine solids settle very slowly and therefore the water must be held for a prolonged period in the pond before it is low enough in solids to be re-used in the process. This then requires that inordinately large tailings ponds be provided. In summary, the flotation mechanism in the prior art process requires that large amounts of heated water be used and that solids removal in the ponds be extensive, thereby necessitating an extensive pond system.
With this background in mind, the present invention seeks to separate bitumen from oil using a process which gets away from the flotation mechanism of the prior art and whicn can tolerate relatively higher levels of solids in the plant water.
In accordance with the broadest concept of the invention, tar sand is mixed with water and usually steam to form a slurry and disperse the tar sand components by a combin-ation of heating and dilution with water. The slurry product is .
10l~5760 then temporarily contained or supported by a sieve-like member partly immersed in a water bath. Most of the slurry solids drop through the apertures of the sieve-like member, while most of the bitumen moves to its inner surface and adheres tnereto. The coated section of the sieve-like member is then removed from the slurry and the bitumen is recovered therefrom.
In a preferred embodiment, oil sand is first con-ditioned in a rotating tumbler with hot water and steam to produce a slurry by the combined action of tumbling and heating in the presence of water. This slurry is then transferred to an apertured or perforated horizontal drum rotating within a water bath. Here the sand drops through the perforations while the bitumen is attracted to and adheres to the oleophilic inner surface of the drum. When the oil-coated section of drum wall rotates out of the slurry and water bath, the bitumen is collected.
It has been found that a comparatively good bitumen recovery can be achieved in this manner. The bitumen product ;
is low in solids and water content. The process appears to be capable of tolerating a relatively high solids content in the plant water used, although this observation is based to date only on batch ~xperiments and will require further in-vestigation by way of continuous runs.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the tumbler, separating drum, bitumen recovery assembly and water bath of -the preferred form of the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the sieve, showing a perforated conveyor belt, partly immersed in a water bath, being used as a separator, with rolls ~.
.. . .
1~857~0 and a doctor blade assembly for recovering the adhering bitumen;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second alterna-tive embodiment of the sieve, showing a perforated dish, with sides, partly immersed in a water bath, functioning as the separator, with a transfer roll being used to transfer bitumen adhering to the dish's inner surface through the per-forations onto a recovery roll (not shown) behind the dish;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of another version of the system, showing a drum, perforated along part of its length, being used to both condition the oil sand and to separ-ate the bitumen and solids;
Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of a method for recovering bitumen from the sieve using two rolls;
Figure 6 is an illustration of bitumen mounds as 15 they are produced on the recovery roll if the rolls are in the preferred position;
Figure 7 is an illustration of bitumen mounds as they are produced on the recovery roll if the rolls are positioned with an improper angle of offset relative to the sieve surface a:nd the center of the rolls;
; Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a method for recovering bitumen from the sieve using a vacuum chamber.
Conditioning ~ In the first step of the preferred process, oil sand, water, a pH controller such as sodium carbonate, and steam are introduced into a conditioning drum 1 in amounts such that a slurry is produced containing about 20% by weight water, having a temperature of about 110F and a pH of about 9.8. .
-~ith reference to Figure 1, the drum 1 is a hori- ~ .
zontal, rotating cylinder having rear and front ends 2, 3, each partially closed by a washer 4. The side wall 5 of the -- 4 _ 1~5760 drum has a solid rear portiol~ 6 and a perforated front portion 7.
Steam is introduced into the interior of the drum 1 through a distributor valve (not shown),which feeds it to a series of perforated pipes 9. These pipes 9 extend longi-tudinally along the interior surface of the drum in spaced relationship about its circumference. The valve feeds the `steam to the pipes 9 only when they are submerged within the slurry 10. The oil sand 11 is fed into the rear end of the drum 1 by way of a conveyor 12. A mixture of water and sodiurn carbonate is added to the oil sand at the rear end of the drum through a pipe 13. The ingredients mix in the drum and form a smooth slurry 10. This slurry 10 drops through the perforations 29 of the drum portion 7 onto a channel 14 which carries it to the separation drum 15. Rocks and other oversize material pass over the lip of the front washer 4 and drop onto a con-veyor belt 16 which carries thern to a discard area. -In the drum 1, the oil sand is heated and formed into a slurry in which the water is in intimate contact with each sand grain and the bitumen agglomerates into globules or drops.
Separation , The slurry 10 is transferred by the channel 14 into the rear of the separation drum 15. This unit is cylindrical, having ends partially closed by washers 17. The rear portion 18 of the drum side wall 19 is closed while the front portion 20 is perforated. The separation drum 15 is suspended in a water bath 21 by a driven transfer roll 22, so that the drum is immersed up to about its centre line. An oleophilic collector roll 23 is mounted on the outside of the drum 15 in a particular position relative to the transfer roll 22.
A doctor blade 24 presses against the collector roll 23 to .
,.... . .
. . -10857~0 scrape off accumulated bitumen. A perforated pipe (not shown) cascades water on the outer surface of the drum 15 as it leaves the water bath, to wash off solids attached to the oily outer surface 26 of the drum.
In operation, the slurry 10 spills into the separation drum 15 and is contained there as a diluted slurry 27 while the solids and bitumen separate in a fluid environment. The solid particles 28 drop through the slurry 27 and pass through the perforations or apertures 29, falling to the bottom of the bath 21. As shown in Figure 1, the water bath 21 is con-tained in an outer vessel 30. An auger 31 is provided to draw the separated sand out of the base of said vessel. The bitumen moves through the slurry 27 and adheres to the submerged inner surface 32 of the drum 15. When the drum's side wall 19 rotates out of the water bath 21, the transfer roll 22 forces this bitumen through the perforations 29. The collector roll 23 immediately picks up the bitumen pressed through the perforations 29 and clears the latter, so that they are again available to permit the passage o~ solids therethrough.
It is desirable to increase the affinity for bitumen of the drum's inside surface 32; this can be accomplished by coating the steel surface with a strongly oleophilic material, `~
such as neoprene, urethane elastomer or any oleophilic paint coating. In earlier versions of the drum, its inside surface 32 was not so coated. In this case, the bitumen would pass through the perforations 29 and collect on the outside sur-face 33 of the drum. However, separation was slow and there was a relatively high loss of bitumen with the sand; in addition, the recovered oil was relatively high in solids. ;-On applying an oleophilic car body paint to the inside surface 32,it was found that the bitumen would readily ` 1~85760 adhere thereto and the rate of recovery and the quality of the bitumen and sand products improved.
The drum side wall 19 is perforated, preferably with perforations 29 having a diameter within the range 0.1 -0.25 inches, most preferably about 0.15 inches. It has been found that the sand passes through the perforations 29 with in-creasing difficulty as their diameter diminishes below about 0.1 inches. There is a build up of solids within the drum 15 when this is the case. Conversely, the bitumen begins to pass through the perforations 29 with increasing ease as the perforation diameter exceeds about 0.25 inches, thereby re-ducing the oil recovery. The size of the perforations 29 is to some degree influenced by the mean particle size of the mineral matter in the slurry 27 and the concentration of the -slurry in the separation drum 15.
The reason why the rear portion 18 of the drum side wall 19 is not perforated is to give the slurry 10 spilling into it from the conditioning drum 1 a chance to dilute with ;
water and to reach the separating temperature before contacting the perforated surface 20. For that reason the inside surface of the closed rear portion of the drum side wall 19 could be made hyrophilic so as to discourage accumulation of bitumen on that surface.
The temperature of the slurry undergoing separation within the drum 15 preferably should be within the range 85F -120F, most preferably about 100F. If the temperature of separation is less than about 85F, the rate of separation begins to diminish, as does the collection of bitumen on the drum's inside surface 32 and the collected bitumen contains increasingly higher percentages of minerals as the temperature decreases. If the temperature is about 120F , the bitumen 1~857t;0 begins to migrate in significant amounts through the perforations 29 and is lost with the sand. The preferred range is 95F-110F.
It appears that the slurry undergoing separation should contain at least one half pound of water per pound of sand. If the slurry is thicker, the sand does not easily drop through the perforations 29 and bitumen losses are greater with the sand that does leave the drum 15. It does not appear to matter how much more dilute the slurry is, however, it is self-evident that the process will be run with the minimum amount of water consistent with good bitumen recovery and quality. In the units run to date, the outside vessel 30, which holds the water bath 21, is initially full of water (containing a small amount of sodium carbonate) which half fills the separation drum 15 and this water or slurry level is maintained throughout each test. It has been the case that the units, as so started and with the composition of slurries -~
fed to them, have consistently had a water content above the above mentioned limit - however, in a continuous operation it may be necessary to establish a minimum consistency for the system involved and perhaps add additional water. Analyses of the bitumen and sand products have shown the water content of these products to be less than that required in the conditioning drum to produce a satisfactory slurry. Therefore in a contin-uous system water will accumulate in the separating vessel, causing a dilution of the slurry. This extra water will have to be drawn off and may be reused in the conditioning drum.
; The speed of separation of the slurry within the separation drum 15 will vary with the size of drum, the size of perforations, temperature and consistency of the slurry, etc., and will have to be determined for any particular system.
It is necessary to provide means for collecting the ...... .
lG857f~0 `~
adhering bitumen from the drum's inside surface 32. This may be done by forcing the bitumen through the perforations 29 s with an inside transfer roll 22 and then collecting it with an outside collector roll 23. The bitumen on the collector roll 23 can be scraped therefrom with a doctor blade 24.
It has been found that the rolls 22 and 23 can -suitably be formed of oleophilic, resilient neoprene. The ;
collector roll 23 only works effectively if its surface is ~ -oleophilic but the transfer roll 22 may be either oleophilic -or hydrophilic. If the transfer roll is hydrophilic it will do a better job of transferring bitumen from the drum's inner surface through the perforations but it will not aid the outer roll in opening up the perforations by removing the bitumen out of them - and open perforations are needed to allow sub-sequent sand passage . If the transfer roll is oleophilic it pushes the bitumen through the perforations but subsequently withdraws some of the bitumen out of the perforations, keeping the transfer roll covered with mounds of bitumen but aiding the outer roll in cleaning out the perforations.
During some of the tests the surface of the transfer roll, which was oleophilic, was scraped with a doctor blade after it had pushed bitumen through the perforations. This increased somewhat the rate of bitumen recovery and hence the separation by providing a second stream of bitumen. Compared to the main bitumen product, from the recovery roll, this secondary stream of bitumen, from the transfer roll, contained ' a higher percentage of mineral matter.
As shown in Figure 5, the transfer roll 22 is slightly offset from the collector roll 23, giving a small positive angle of offset 34 between the centers of the rolls relative to the center of the drum. Now, as the separation drum 15 , .
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1C~8~76~
rotates counterclockwise, the transfer roll 22 forces the bitumen collected on the drum's inside surface 33 through the perforations 29. If the angle of offset is correctly chosen, the extruded bitumen forms mounds 36 on the collector roll 23 having a shape as shown in Figure 6. If the angle of offset 34 is too small, the bitumen smears on the rolls 22, 23 and the surfaces 32, 33 and collection by the roll 23 is relatively poor. If the angle of offset is too large, mounds 36 are produced having a configuration as shown in Figure 7 - again it is found that collection onto the roll 23 deteriorates in this circumstance.
Transfer of bitumen to the collector roll 23 maybe enhanced if the drum's outside surface 33 is less oleophilic than the surface of the collector roll 23, since the bitumen being forced through the perforations 29 will not tend to linger `
on the outside drum surface 33 but will directly transfer to the oleophilic roll 23. A steel surface, wetted by water having a pH greater than 7, is less oleophilic than neoprene and hence is suited for the purpose. The steel surface can also be made less oleophilic by coating it with a silicate or carbide such as silicon dioxide or chromium carbide.
An alternate method of collecting bitumen from the drum's inside surface 32 involves the use of a vacuum chamber unit 38, as illustrated in Figure 8. The unit 38, connected to a vacuum line 39 and provided with boot like edges to help seal in the vacuum, is held stationary and close to the rotating drum's outside surface 33. Bitumen collected on the drum's inside surface 32 is sucked through the drum perforations 29 and collects in the vacuum unit 38, from where it is subsequently removed. Providing a bitumen transfer roll 22 or a source of compressed air on the drum's .~ ..
, - - , - , ~
inside surface 32 can aid in pushing the bitumen into the perforations, from where it can be removed by the vacuum.
The optimum rate of rotation of the separation drum 15 will have to be determined for each system. However, it has been observed that if the rate of rotation is too fast, additional water is picked up by the bitumen layer on the ;
drum surface 33, making it less oleophilic and impeding pick-up of bitumen floating on the water surface and also increasing the water content of the recovered bitumen. If the rate of rotation is too slow, the rate of separation by the unit decreases.
In some circumstances, it has been found desirable to wash the separation drum's surfaces 32, 33 with water to remove solids adhering thereto. However, too concentrated a wash has a tendency to remove some of the bitumen as well.
In another preferred feature of the invention, the sand bed 36 at the base of the bath vessel 30 may be aerated and stirred with an oleophilic rod or paddle 37. It is found that some bitumen entrapped in the bed 36 will rise and adhere to the bitumen in the perforations 29 and to the paddle 37. In this manner oil losses with the sand can be reduced.
The practice cf the invention is exemplified by -the following example involving the equipment illustrated in Figure 1. -A steel conditioning drum was provided having a length of 38 inches and diameter of 18 inches. The rear end of the drum contained a hopper for accepting oil sand and water and 30~ of its side wall was perforated at its forward end with 3/16 inch diameter openings on 5/16 inch centres.
The drum was mounted on casters while a belt on the drum ~:
~ , , , - .
i~857~0 circumference attached to a motor driven pulley provided the rotating power. The front end of the drum was provided with a 2 1/2 inch high washer. The drum was rotated at 1 rpm.
50 pounds per hour of oil sand, analyzing 15.9% bitumen, 1.6%
S water and 82~5% solids, were fed to the conditioning drum for a period of 4 hours and were mixed therein with 10 pounds per hour of 60F water, 3 pounds of 5 psi steam and 0.02 pounds per hour of sodium carbonate. The product slurry passing through the perforated section of the drum analyzed 13.7% bitumen, 23.8% water and 62.5% solids, had a temperature of 110F and a pH of 9.8. 5 pounds per hour of reject oversize material was removed from the washer opening.
The product slurry was conveyed into the rear end of a steel separation drum having a diameter of 18 inches, a length of 12 inches, and a perforated forwarded section comprising 60% of its side wall area. The perforations had a diameter of 3/16 inches and were spaced on 5/16 inch centres.
The separation drum was supported and rotated by a pair of driven neoprene rollers at 2 rpm.
The separation drum was positioned in a bath tank having a round bottom and capacity of 15 gallons. The bath tank was supplied with 100F water and filled the drum up to its centre line. Sand was removed at a rate of 36 pounds per hour from the bath tank with an auger.
A rotatable neoprene transfer roll having a diameter of 6 inches supported the separation drum at its upper end. A rotatable neoprene collection roll having a diameter of 6 inches pressed against the outside surface of the drum at a position such that the mounds illustrated in Figure 6 were produced through the perforations. The oil was scraped from the collector roll by a doctor blade and re-` covered in a trough.
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1¢8S760 A perforated air hose mounted under the drum aerated the sand passing through the perforations. An ;~ -oleophilic paddle stirred up the sand in the bottom of the ~ -outer vessel. These operations recovered some of the residual bitumen carried through the perforations with the sand.
The temperature of the slurry within the separation drum was maintained at about 101F by the addition of ice cubes to the bath water. Following are the results of the run:
Bitumen product: 17.3% solids 16.8~ water 65.9% bitumen Sand tailings product: 80.4% solids 19.3~ water 0.3% bitumen Bitumen recovery at equilibrium conditions:
98%
While the expression "diameter" has been used ~
herein in describing tlle size of the perforations or apertures, ~ .
it is to be understood that the claims reciting this limita-tion are not to be limited to circular apertures - instead the word "diameter" is intended to cover the average dimension of the aperture.
, . .
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~itumen is presently commercially extracted from Alberta oil sand using the hot water process. In accordance with this process, the oil sand is first mixed with hot water and steam in a rotating horizontal conditioning drum. In this operation, the components of the oil sand (i.e. bitumen, water and solids) are dispersed by a combination of heating and dilution with water. More particularly, the heated oil sand comprises water-wet grains having oil trapped therebetween -as water is added, the water phase swells and the sand grains collect therein; the bitumen agglomerates and forms discrete drops.
The slurry formed in the conditioning drum is then diluted with additional water and introduced into a separation ~ -vessel. This vessel has a cylindrical body and a conical bottom. Here the coarse sand grains drop to the bottom of the vessel and are removed througll an outlet as a relatively dry tailings stream. This stxeam is discarded into a pond system.
The bitumen, which is slightly less dense than water at the process temperature, attaches itself to air bubbles entrained in the slurry, rises through the vessel contents and forms a froth product. This product overflows the vessel wall into ~i a launder and is collected.
There are several problems of interest in the ~ -existing process. Firstly, there are difficulties connected ¦ with the bitumen flotation operation going on in the separation vessel. More particularly, if a large concentration of solids is presen~ in the contents of the separation vessel, these solids will impede the upward progress of the aerated bitumen.
, ,, ~,, ~ . . . . .
1~85760 Therefore, in order for the aerated bitumen to rise ~uickly through the vessel contents, it is desirable to have a dilute system within the vessel. This means that a relatively large amount of water must therefore be used in the process. Since this water must be heated to about 180F , the energy require-ments of the process are therefore increased as the water content is increased. Because large amounts of water are intro-duced into the process, it is necessary to withdraw a middlings dragstream from the midpoint of the vessel to maintain a balance.
This middlings dragstream is treated in a sub-aerated flotation cell, to recover contained bitumen, and is then discarded into the pond system. Unfortunately, fine solids (-325 mesh) associ-ated with the oil sand pass through the process and end up suspended in the tailings water in the pond system. These fine solids settle very slowly and therefore the water must be held for a prolonged period in the pond before it is low enough in solids to be re-used in the process. This then requires that inordinately large tailings ponds be provided. In summary, the flotation mechanism in the prior art process requires that large amounts of heated water be used and that solids removal in the ponds be extensive, thereby necessitating an extensive pond system.
With this background in mind, the present invention seeks to separate bitumen from oil using a process which gets away from the flotation mechanism of the prior art and whicn can tolerate relatively higher levels of solids in the plant water.
In accordance with the broadest concept of the invention, tar sand is mixed with water and usually steam to form a slurry and disperse the tar sand components by a combin-ation of heating and dilution with water. The slurry product is .
10l~5760 then temporarily contained or supported by a sieve-like member partly immersed in a water bath. Most of the slurry solids drop through the apertures of the sieve-like member, while most of the bitumen moves to its inner surface and adheres tnereto. The coated section of the sieve-like member is then removed from the slurry and the bitumen is recovered therefrom.
In a preferred embodiment, oil sand is first con-ditioned in a rotating tumbler with hot water and steam to produce a slurry by the combined action of tumbling and heating in the presence of water. This slurry is then transferred to an apertured or perforated horizontal drum rotating within a water bath. Here the sand drops through the perforations while the bitumen is attracted to and adheres to the oleophilic inner surface of the drum. When the oil-coated section of drum wall rotates out of the slurry and water bath, the bitumen is collected.
It has been found that a comparatively good bitumen recovery can be achieved in this manner. The bitumen product ;
is low in solids and water content. The process appears to be capable of tolerating a relatively high solids content in the plant water used, although this observation is based to date only on batch ~xperiments and will require further in-vestigation by way of continuous runs.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the tumbler, separating drum, bitumen recovery assembly and water bath of -the preferred form of the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the sieve, showing a perforated conveyor belt, partly immersed in a water bath, being used as a separator, with rolls ~.
.. . .
1~857~0 and a doctor blade assembly for recovering the adhering bitumen;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second alterna-tive embodiment of the sieve, showing a perforated dish, with sides, partly immersed in a water bath, functioning as the separator, with a transfer roll being used to transfer bitumen adhering to the dish's inner surface through the per-forations onto a recovery roll (not shown) behind the dish;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of another version of the system, showing a drum, perforated along part of its length, being used to both condition the oil sand and to separ-ate the bitumen and solids;
Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of a method for recovering bitumen from the sieve using two rolls;
Figure 6 is an illustration of bitumen mounds as 15 they are produced on the recovery roll if the rolls are in the preferred position;
Figure 7 is an illustration of bitumen mounds as they are produced on the recovery roll if the rolls are positioned with an improper angle of offset relative to the sieve surface a:nd the center of the rolls;
; Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a method for recovering bitumen from the sieve using a vacuum chamber.
Conditioning ~ In the first step of the preferred process, oil sand, water, a pH controller such as sodium carbonate, and steam are introduced into a conditioning drum 1 in amounts such that a slurry is produced containing about 20% by weight water, having a temperature of about 110F and a pH of about 9.8. .
-~ith reference to Figure 1, the drum 1 is a hori- ~ .
zontal, rotating cylinder having rear and front ends 2, 3, each partially closed by a washer 4. The side wall 5 of the -- 4 _ 1~5760 drum has a solid rear portiol~ 6 and a perforated front portion 7.
Steam is introduced into the interior of the drum 1 through a distributor valve (not shown),which feeds it to a series of perforated pipes 9. These pipes 9 extend longi-tudinally along the interior surface of the drum in spaced relationship about its circumference. The valve feeds the `steam to the pipes 9 only when they are submerged within the slurry 10. The oil sand 11 is fed into the rear end of the drum 1 by way of a conveyor 12. A mixture of water and sodiurn carbonate is added to the oil sand at the rear end of the drum through a pipe 13. The ingredients mix in the drum and form a smooth slurry 10. This slurry 10 drops through the perforations 29 of the drum portion 7 onto a channel 14 which carries it to the separation drum 15. Rocks and other oversize material pass over the lip of the front washer 4 and drop onto a con-veyor belt 16 which carries thern to a discard area. -In the drum 1, the oil sand is heated and formed into a slurry in which the water is in intimate contact with each sand grain and the bitumen agglomerates into globules or drops.
Separation , The slurry 10 is transferred by the channel 14 into the rear of the separation drum 15. This unit is cylindrical, having ends partially closed by washers 17. The rear portion 18 of the drum side wall 19 is closed while the front portion 20 is perforated. The separation drum 15 is suspended in a water bath 21 by a driven transfer roll 22, so that the drum is immersed up to about its centre line. An oleophilic collector roll 23 is mounted on the outside of the drum 15 in a particular position relative to the transfer roll 22.
A doctor blade 24 presses against the collector roll 23 to .
,.... . .
. . -10857~0 scrape off accumulated bitumen. A perforated pipe (not shown) cascades water on the outer surface of the drum 15 as it leaves the water bath, to wash off solids attached to the oily outer surface 26 of the drum.
In operation, the slurry 10 spills into the separation drum 15 and is contained there as a diluted slurry 27 while the solids and bitumen separate in a fluid environment. The solid particles 28 drop through the slurry 27 and pass through the perforations or apertures 29, falling to the bottom of the bath 21. As shown in Figure 1, the water bath 21 is con-tained in an outer vessel 30. An auger 31 is provided to draw the separated sand out of the base of said vessel. The bitumen moves through the slurry 27 and adheres to the submerged inner surface 32 of the drum 15. When the drum's side wall 19 rotates out of the water bath 21, the transfer roll 22 forces this bitumen through the perforations 29. The collector roll 23 immediately picks up the bitumen pressed through the perforations 29 and clears the latter, so that they are again available to permit the passage o~ solids therethrough.
It is desirable to increase the affinity for bitumen of the drum's inside surface 32; this can be accomplished by coating the steel surface with a strongly oleophilic material, `~
such as neoprene, urethane elastomer or any oleophilic paint coating. In earlier versions of the drum, its inside surface 32 was not so coated. In this case, the bitumen would pass through the perforations 29 and collect on the outside sur-face 33 of the drum. However, separation was slow and there was a relatively high loss of bitumen with the sand; in addition, the recovered oil was relatively high in solids. ;-On applying an oleophilic car body paint to the inside surface 32,it was found that the bitumen would readily ` 1~85760 adhere thereto and the rate of recovery and the quality of the bitumen and sand products improved.
The drum side wall 19 is perforated, preferably with perforations 29 having a diameter within the range 0.1 -0.25 inches, most preferably about 0.15 inches. It has been found that the sand passes through the perforations 29 with in-creasing difficulty as their diameter diminishes below about 0.1 inches. There is a build up of solids within the drum 15 when this is the case. Conversely, the bitumen begins to pass through the perforations 29 with increasing ease as the perforation diameter exceeds about 0.25 inches, thereby re-ducing the oil recovery. The size of the perforations 29 is to some degree influenced by the mean particle size of the mineral matter in the slurry 27 and the concentration of the -slurry in the separation drum 15.
The reason why the rear portion 18 of the drum side wall 19 is not perforated is to give the slurry 10 spilling into it from the conditioning drum 1 a chance to dilute with ;
water and to reach the separating temperature before contacting the perforated surface 20. For that reason the inside surface of the closed rear portion of the drum side wall 19 could be made hyrophilic so as to discourage accumulation of bitumen on that surface.
The temperature of the slurry undergoing separation within the drum 15 preferably should be within the range 85F -120F, most preferably about 100F. If the temperature of separation is less than about 85F, the rate of separation begins to diminish, as does the collection of bitumen on the drum's inside surface 32 and the collected bitumen contains increasingly higher percentages of minerals as the temperature decreases. If the temperature is about 120F , the bitumen 1~857t;0 begins to migrate in significant amounts through the perforations 29 and is lost with the sand. The preferred range is 95F-110F.
It appears that the slurry undergoing separation should contain at least one half pound of water per pound of sand. If the slurry is thicker, the sand does not easily drop through the perforations 29 and bitumen losses are greater with the sand that does leave the drum 15. It does not appear to matter how much more dilute the slurry is, however, it is self-evident that the process will be run with the minimum amount of water consistent with good bitumen recovery and quality. In the units run to date, the outside vessel 30, which holds the water bath 21, is initially full of water (containing a small amount of sodium carbonate) which half fills the separation drum 15 and this water or slurry level is maintained throughout each test. It has been the case that the units, as so started and with the composition of slurries -~
fed to them, have consistently had a water content above the above mentioned limit - however, in a continuous operation it may be necessary to establish a minimum consistency for the system involved and perhaps add additional water. Analyses of the bitumen and sand products have shown the water content of these products to be less than that required in the conditioning drum to produce a satisfactory slurry. Therefore in a contin-uous system water will accumulate in the separating vessel, causing a dilution of the slurry. This extra water will have to be drawn off and may be reused in the conditioning drum.
; The speed of separation of the slurry within the separation drum 15 will vary with the size of drum, the size of perforations, temperature and consistency of the slurry, etc., and will have to be determined for any particular system.
It is necessary to provide means for collecting the ...... .
lG857f~0 `~
adhering bitumen from the drum's inside surface 32. This may be done by forcing the bitumen through the perforations 29 s with an inside transfer roll 22 and then collecting it with an outside collector roll 23. The bitumen on the collector roll 23 can be scraped therefrom with a doctor blade 24.
It has been found that the rolls 22 and 23 can -suitably be formed of oleophilic, resilient neoprene. The ;
collector roll 23 only works effectively if its surface is ~ -oleophilic but the transfer roll 22 may be either oleophilic -or hydrophilic. If the transfer roll is hydrophilic it will do a better job of transferring bitumen from the drum's inner surface through the perforations but it will not aid the outer roll in opening up the perforations by removing the bitumen out of them - and open perforations are needed to allow sub-sequent sand passage . If the transfer roll is oleophilic it pushes the bitumen through the perforations but subsequently withdraws some of the bitumen out of the perforations, keeping the transfer roll covered with mounds of bitumen but aiding the outer roll in cleaning out the perforations.
During some of the tests the surface of the transfer roll, which was oleophilic, was scraped with a doctor blade after it had pushed bitumen through the perforations. This increased somewhat the rate of bitumen recovery and hence the separation by providing a second stream of bitumen. Compared to the main bitumen product, from the recovery roll, this secondary stream of bitumen, from the transfer roll, contained ' a higher percentage of mineral matter.
As shown in Figure 5, the transfer roll 22 is slightly offset from the collector roll 23, giving a small positive angle of offset 34 between the centers of the rolls relative to the center of the drum. Now, as the separation drum 15 , .
.
. .
1C~8~76~
rotates counterclockwise, the transfer roll 22 forces the bitumen collected on the drum's inside surface 33 through the perforations 29. If the angle of offset is correctly chosen, the extruded bitumen forms mounds 36 on the collector roll 23 having a shape as shown in Figure 6. If the angle of offset 34 is too small, the bitumen smears on the rolls 22, 23 and the surfaces 32, 33 and collection by the roll 23 is relatively poor. If the angle of offset is too large, mounds 36 are produced having a configuration as shown in Figure 7 - again it is found that collection onto the roll 23 deteriorates in this circumstance.
Transfer of bitumen to the collector roll 23 maybe enhanced if the drum's outside surface 33 is less oleophilic than the surface of the collector roll 23, since the bitumen being forced through the perforations 29 will not tend to linger `
on the outside drum surface 33 but will directly transfer to the oleophilic roll 23. A steel surface, wetted by water having a pH greater than 7, is less oleophilic than neoprene and hence is suited for the purpose. The steel surface can also be made less oleophilic by coating it with a silicate or carbide such as silicon dioxide or chromium carbide.
An alternate method of collecting bitumen from the drum's inside surface 32 involves the use of a vacuum chamber unit 38, as illustrated in Figure 8. The unit 38, connected to a vacuum line 39 and provided with boot like edges to help seal in the vacuum, is held stationary and close to the rotating drum's outside surface 33. Bitumen collected on the drum's inside surface 32 is sucked through the drum perforations 29 and collects in the vacuum unit 38, from where it is subsequently removed. Providing a bitumen transfer roll 22 or a source of compressed air on the drum's .~ ..
, - - , - , ~
inside surface 32 can aid in pushing the bitumen into the perforations, from where it can be removed by the vacuum.
The optimum rate of rotation of the separation drum 15 will have to be determined for each system. However, it has been observed that if the rate of rotation is too fast, additional water is picked up by the bitumen layer on the ;
drum surface 33, making it less oleophilic and impeding pick-up of bitumen floating on the water surface and also increasing the water content of the recovered bitumen. If the rate of rotation is too slow, the rate of separation by the unit decreases.
In some circumstances, it has been found desirable to wash the separation drum's surfaces 32, 33 with water to remove solids adhering thereto. However, too concentrated a wash has a tendency to remove some of the bitumen as well.
In another preferred feature of the invention, the sand bed 36 at the base of the bath vessel 30 may be aerated and stirred with an oleophilic rod or paddle 37. It is found that some bitumen entrapped in the bed 36 will rise and adhere to the bitumen in the perforations 29 and to the paddle 37. In this manner oil losses with the sand can be reduced.
The practice cf the invention is exemplified by -the following example involving the equipment illustrated in Figure 1. -A steel conditioning drum was provided having a length of 38 inches and diameter of 18 inches. The rear end of the drum contained a hopper for accepting oil sand and water and 30~ of its side wall was perforated at its forward end with 3/16 inch diameter openings on 5/16 inch centres.
The drum was mounted on casters while a belt on the drum ~:
~ , , , - .
i~857~0 circumference attached to a motor driven pulley provided the rotating power. The front end of the drum was provided with a 2 1/2 inch high washer. The drum was rotated at 1 rpm.
50 pounds per hour of oil sand, analyzing 15.9% bitumen, 1.6%
S water and 82~5% solids, were fed to the conditioning drum for a period of 4 hours and were mixed therein with 10 pounds per hour of 60F water, 3 pounds of 5 psi steam and 0.02 pounds per hour of sodium carbonate. The product slurry passing through the perforated section of the drum analyzed 13.7% bitumen, 23.8% water and 62.5% solids, had a temperature of 110F and a pH of 9.8. 5 pounds per hour of reject oversize material was removed from the washer opening.
The product slurry was conveyed into the rear end of a steel separation drum having a diameter of 18 inches, a length of 12 inches, and a perforated forwarded section comprising 60% of its side wall area. The perforations had a diameter of 3/16 inches and were spaced on 5/16 inch centres.
The separation drum was supported and rotated by a pair of driven neoprene rollers at 2 rpm.
The separation drum was positioned in a bath tank having a round bottom and capacity of 15 gallons. The bath tank was supplied with 100F water and filled the drum up to its centre line. Sand was removed at a rate of 36 pounds per hour from the bath tank with an auger.
A rotatable neoprene transfer roll having a diameter of 6 inches supported the separation drum at its upper end. A rotatable neoprene collection roll having a diameter of 6 inches pressed against the outside surface of the drum at a position such that the mounds illustrated in Figure 6 were produced through the perforations. The oil was scraped from the collector roll by a doctor blade and re-` covered in a trough.
. . : ~ .. . .
1¢8S760 A perforated air hose mounted under the drum aerated the sand passing through the perforations. An ;~ -oleophilic paddle stirred up the sand in the bottom of the ~ -outer vessel. These operations recovered some of the residual bitumen carried through the perforations with the sand.
The temperature of the slurry within the separation drum was maintained at about 101F by the addition of ice cubes to the bath water. Following are the results of the run:
Bitumen product: 17.3% solids 16.8~ water 65.9% bitumen Sand tailings product: 80.4% solids 19.3~ water 0.3% bitumen Bitumen recovery at equilibrium conditions:
98%
While the expression "diameter" has been used ~
herein in describing tlle size of the perforations or apertures, ~ .
it is to be understood that the claims reciting this limita-tion are not to be limited to circular apertures - instead the word "diameter" is intended to cover the average dimension of the aperture.
, . .
~ . ., :' ~ .
~ ' ~
Claims (25)
1. In a method for recovering bitumen from oil sand wherein the sand is first mixed with water to form a hot slurry in which the bitumen and solids are dispersed, the improvement which comprises:
temporarily supporting the slurry product with an apertured wall at least partly immersed in a water bath, to permit of a separation of slurry solids from bitumen, the solids dropping through the apertures while the bitumen moves to the wall's inner surface and adheres thereto; and removing the coated wall from the bath and re-covering the bitumen therefrom.
temporarily supporting the slurry product with an apertured wall at least partly immersed in a water bath, to permit of a separation of slurry solids from bitumen, the solids dropping through the apertures while the bitumen moves to the wall's inner surface and adheres thereto; and removing the coated wall from the bath and re-covering the bitumen therefrom.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 85°F - 120°F.
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 85°F - 120°F.
3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 95°F - 110°F.
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 95°F - 110°F.
4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein:
the surface of the apertured wall in contact with the slurry has an oleophilic surface.
the surface of the apertured wall in contact with the slurry has an oleophilic surface.
5. The method as set forth in claim 4 comprising:
forcing bitumen adhering to the coated inner surface through the apertures with a transfer roll after the wall has been removed from the bath; and recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the wall while it is out of the bath.
forcing bitumen adhering to the coated inner surface through the apertures with a transfer roll after the wall has been removed from the bath; and recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the wall while it is out of the bath.
6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the apertures formed in the supporting wall have a diameter within the range 0.1 to 0.25 inches.
the apertures formed in the supporting wall have a diameter within the range 0.1 to 0.25 inches.
7. The method as set forth in claims 1 or 6 wherein:
the slurry undergoing separation contains at least one half pound of water per pound of oil sand feed.
the slurry undergoing separation contains at least one half pound of water per pound of oil sand feed.
8. A method for recovering bitumen from oil sand, which comprises:
mixing oil sand with water and steam in a rotating drum having apertures along part of its length and at least partly immersed in water to form a slurry and disperse the oil sand components by a combination of heating and dilution with water;
temporarily supporting the slurry in the apertured section of the drum, whereby most of the oil sand solids drop through the apertures and most of the bitumen moves to the inner surface of the drum and adheres thereto; and recovering the adhering bitumen from said inner surface when the drum wall section to which it is adhering rotates out of the slurry.
mixing oil sand with water and steam in a rotating drum having apertures along part of its length and at least partly immersed in water to form a slurry and disperse the oil sand components by a combination of heating and dilution with water;
temporarily supporting the slurry in the apertured section of the drum, whereby most of the oil sand solids drop through the apertures and most of the bitumen moves to the inner surface of the drum and adheres thereto; and recovering the adhering bitumen from said inner surface when the drum wall section to which it is adhering rotates out of the slurry.
9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein:
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 85°F - 120°F.
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 85°F - 120°F.
10. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein:
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 95°F - 110°F.
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 95°F - 110°F.
11. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein:
the surface of the apertured wall section in contact with the slurry has an oleophilic surface.
the surface of the apertured wall section in contact with the slurry has an oleophilic surface.
12. The method as set forth in claim 11 comprising:
forcing bitumen adhering to the coated inner surface through the apertures with a transfer roll after the wall has been removed from the bath; and recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the wall while it is out of the bath.
forcing bitumen adhering to the coated inner surface through the apertures with a transfer roll after the wall has been removed from the bath; and recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the wall while it is out of the bath.
13. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein:
the apertures formed in the supporting wall have a diameter within the range 0.1 - 0.25 inches.
the apertures formed in the supporting wall have a diameter within the range 0.1 - 0.25 inches.
14. The method as set forth in claims 8 or 13 wherein:
the slurry undergoing separation contains at least one half pound of water per pound of oil sand feed.
the slurry undergoing separation contains at least one half pound of water per pound of oil sand feed.
15. The method as set forth in claim 11 comprising:
recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the wall with an oleophilic collecting roll which contacts said surface ; and scraping the bitumen from the collecting roll for further treatment;
said transfer and collecting rolls being positioned so that there is a small positive angle of offset between the centres of the rolls relative to the centre of the drum such that mounds of bitumen, having a shape substantially as shown in Figure 6, are produced on the collecting roll.
recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the wall with an oleophilic collecting roll which contacts said surface ; and scraping the bitumen from the collecting roll for further treatment;
said transfer and collecting rolls being positioned so that there is a small positive angle of offset between the centres of the rolls relative to the centre of the drum such that mounds of bitumen, having a shape substantially as shown in Figure 6, are produced on the collecting roll.
16. A method for recovering bitumen from oil sand, which comprises:
mixing oil sand with water and steam in a rotating conditioning drum to form a slurry and disperse the oil sand components by a combination of heating and dilution with water;
transferring the slurry from the conditioning drum to a rotating apertured separation drum at least partly immersed in a water bath;
temporarily supporting the slurry within the separation drum, whereby most of the oil sand solids drop through the apertures and most of the bitumen moves to the inner surface of the separation drum and adheres thereto; and recovering the adhering bitumen from said inner surface when the separation drum wall section to which it is adhering rotates out of the slurry.
mixing oil sand with water and steam in a rotating conditioning drum to form a slurry and disperse the oil sand components by a combination of heating and dilution with water;
transferring the slurry from the conditioning drum to a rotating apertured separation drum at least partly immersed in a water bath;
temporarily supporting the slurry within the separation drum, whereby most of the oil sand solids drop through the apertures and most of the bitumen moves to the inner surface of the separation drum and adheres thereto; and recovering the adhering bitumen from said inner surface when the separation drum wall section to which it is adhering rotates out of the slurry.
17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein:
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 85°F - 120°F.
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 85°F - 120°F.
18. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein:
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 95°F - 110°F.
the temperature of the slurry undergoing separation is within the range 95°F - 110°F.
19. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein:
the surface of the separation drum in contact with the slurry has an oleophilic surface.
the surface of the separation drum in contact with the slurry has an oleophilic surface.
20. The method as set forth in claim 19 comprising:
forcing bitumen adhering to the coated inner surface of the separation drum through the apertures with a transfer roll after the coated surface has been rotated from the bath; and recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the separation drum while it is out of the bath.
forcing bitumen adhering to the coated inner surface of the separation drum through the apertures with a transfer roll after the coated surface has been rotated from the bath; and recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the separation drum while it is out of the bath.
21. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein:
the apertures formed in the supporting wall of the separation drum have a diameter within the range 0.1 - 0.25 inches.
the apertures formed in the supporting wall of the separation drum have a diameter within the range 0.1 - 0.25 inches.
22. The method as set forth in claims 16 or 21 wherein:
the slurry undergoing separation contains at least one half pound of water per pound of oil sand feed.
the slurry undergoing separation contains at least one half pound of water per pound of oil sand feed.
23. The method as set forth in claim 20 comprising:
recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the separation drum with an oleophilic collecting roll which contacts said surface; and scraping the bitumen from the collecting roll for further treatment;
said transfer and collecting rolls being positioned so that there is a small positive angle of offset between the centres of the rolls relative to the centre of the separation drum such that mounds of bitumen, having a shape substantially as shown in Figure 6, are produced on the collecting roll.
recovering the bitumen from the outside surface of the separation drum with an oleophilic collecting roll which contacts said surface; and scraping the bitumen from the collecting roll for further treatment;
said transfer and collecting rolls being positioned so that there is a small positive angle of offset between the centres of the rolls relative to the centre of the separation drum such that mounds of bitumen, having a shape substantially as shown in Figure 6, are produced on the collecting roll.
24. The method as set forth in claims 2, 8 or 16 wherein:
the sand product having passed through the apertures is aerated to cause bitumen, carried through with the sand, to rise and adhere to the outside surface of the apertured wall.
the sand product having passed through the apertures is aerated to cause bitumen, carried through with the sand, to rise and adhere to the outside surface of the apertured wall.
25. The method as set forth in claims 2, 8 or 16 wherein:
the sand product having passed through the apertures is stirred with an oleophilic member to free bitumen from the sand.
the sand product having passed through the apertures is stirred with an oleophilic member to free bitumen from the sand.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA245,340A CA1085760A (en) | 1976-02-10 | 1976-02-10 | Process for recovering bitumen from tar sand |
| US06/037,897 US4236995A (en) | 1976-02-10 | 1979-05-10 | Process for recovering bitumen from tar sand |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA245,340A CA1085760A (en) | 1976-02-10 | 1976-02-10 | Process for recovering bitumen from tar sand |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1085760A true CA1085760A (en) | 1980-09-16 |
Family
ID=4105192
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA245,340A Expired CA1085760A (en) | 1976-02-10 | 1976-02-10 | Process for recovering bitumen from tar sand |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4236995A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1085760A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7708146B2 (en) | 2007-11-14 | 2010-05-04 | Jan Kruyer | Hydrocyclone and associated methods |
Families Citing this family (25)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA1141319A (en) * | 1979-08-15 | 1983-02-15 | Jan Kruyer | Method and apparatus for separating slurries and emulsions |
| CA1162899A (en) * | 1981-02-11 | 1984-02-28 | Jan Kruyer | Rotative grizzly for oil sand separation |
| US4511461A (en) * | 1983-07-06 | 1985-04-16 | Jan Kruyer | Process for recovering minerals and metals by oleophilic adhesion |
| US4740311A (en) * | 1983-07-06 | 1988-04-26 | Jan Kruyer | Separating oil phase from aqueous phase using an apertured oleophilic sieve in contact with an apertured cylindrical cage wall |
| US4690732A (en) * | 1985-01-09 | 1987-09-01 | Combs Enterprises, Inc. | Apparatus for shale oil retorting |
| US4744889A (en) * | 1985-04-12 | 1988-05-17 | Jan Kruyer | Separation of viscous hydrocarbons and minerals particles from aqueous mixtures by mixtures by oleophilic adhesion |
| US4859502A (en) * | 1988-01-20 | 1989-08-22 | Astrope Myrle E | Method and apparatus using bituminous sandstone for pavement repair |
| US5305886A (en) * | 1992-01-28 | 1994-04-26 | General Electric Company | Decontamination process |
| CA2123076C (en) * | 1994-05-06 | 1998-11-17 | William Lester Strand | Oil sand extraction process |
| US5723042A (en) * | 1994-05-06 | 1998-03-03 | Bitmin Resources Inc. | Oil sand extraction process |
| US20040123881A1 (en) * | 2002-06-17 | 2004-07-01 | Desautels Norman L. | Method and apparatus for treatment of contaminated soil |
| CA2512106C (en) * | 2005-07-13 | 2008-08-19 | Bitmin Resources Inc. | Oil sand processing apparatus and control system |
| CA2524110C (en) * | 2005-10-21 | 2009-04-14 | William L. Strand | Bitumen recovery process for oil sand |
| CA2665579C (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2015-06-30 | Robert C. Yeggy | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| US8062512B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2011-11-22 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Processes for bitumen separation |
| US7758746B2 (en) | 2006-10-06 | 2010-07-20 | Vary Petrochem, Llc | Separating compositions and methods of use |
| UA99623C2 (en) * | 2007-07-17 | 2012-09-10 | Басф Се | Method for ore enrichment by means of hydrophobic surface and use of hydrophobic surface |
| US20090122637A1 (en) * | 2007-11-14 | 2009-05-14 | Jan Kruyer | Sinusoidal mixing and shearing apparatus and associated methods |
| US20090139905A1 (en) * | 2007-11-30 | 2009-06-04 | Jan Kruyer | Endless cable system and associated methods |
| US20090139906A1 (en) * | 2007-11-30 | 2009-06-04 | Jan Kruyer | Isoelectric separation of oil sands |
| CA2639749A1 (en) * | 2008-09-23 | 2010-03-23 | Thomas Gradek | Hydrocarbon extraction by oleophilic beads from aqueous mixtures |
| US9731221B2 (en) | 2011-05-25 | 2017-08-15 | Cidra Corporate Services, Inc. | Apparatus having polymer surfaces having a siloxane functional group |
| AU2012258667B2 (en) | 2011-05-25 | 2017-01-05 | Cidra Corporate Services Inc. | Mineral separation using functionalized membranes |
| DE102013226373A1 (en) * | 2013-12-18 | 2015-06-18 | Sandvik Materials Technology Deutschland Gmbh | Method and device for producing bitumen blocks |
| DE102017205551A1 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2018-10-04 | Krones Ag | Bottle treating machine and method for cleaning the pump / nozzle guard of the bottle treating machine |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA778347A (en) * | 1968-02-13 | S. Mclatchie Allan | Recovery of bitumen from treated emulsions and froths | |
| CA787898A (en) * | 1968-06-18 | E. Puddington Ira | Oil phase separation | |
| CA657877A (en) * | 1963-02-19 | C. Aylwin Thomas | Method and apparatus for separating oil from oil-bearing sands | |
| CA741302A (en) * | 1966-08-23 | A. Ulrich William | Treatment of tar sand | |
| CA975700A (en) * | 1972-10-20 | 1975-10-07 | Great Canadian Oil Sands | Recovery of bitumen from sludge resulting from hot water extraction of tar sands |
-
1976
- 1976-02-10 CA CA245,340A patent/CA1085760A/en not_active Expired
-
1979
- 1979-05-10 US US06/037,897 patent/US4236995A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7708146B2 (en) | 2007-11-14 | 2010-05-04 | Jan Kruyer | Hydrocyclone and associated methods |
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| US4236995A (en) | 1980-12-02 |
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