Control of process aid used in hot water process for extraction of bitumen from tar sand

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Publication Type patent
Research Institute Institute for Clean and Secure Energy (ICSE)
Author Schramm, Laurier L.; Smith, Russell G.
Title Control of process aid used in hot water process for extraction of bitumen from tar sand
Date 1984-07-31
Description The hot water process is sensitive to the nature of the tar sand feed, which varies. An alkaline process aid, usually NaOH, is normally added to the conditioning step of the process and is needed to obtain good bitumen recovery from most tar sand feeds. The invention is based on the discovery that, for a particular extraction circuit used, there is a single value of free surfactant content in the aqueous phase of the process slurry which will yield maximum primary froth recovery regardless of the type of tar sand feed used. The process in accordance with the invention therefore comprises: (a) determining, for a single tar sand type and the extraction circuit used, the free surfactant content in the aqueous phase of the slurry, which will yield the maximum primary bitumen forth recovery; (b) monitoring the free surfactant content in the aqueous phase of the slurry during subsequent processing of various types of tar sand feed in said circuit; and (c) varying the process aid addition to the slurry as the nature of the tar sand feed varies, to maintain said free surfactant content substantially at the level which leads to maximum primary bitumen froth recovery.
Type Text
Publisher United States Patent and Trademark Office
Subject Tar sand; Bitumen; Tar sand feed; Free surfactant content; Slurry; Bitumen froth recovery; Bitumen; Hot water process; Bitumen extraction; Extraction circuit
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Schramm, L. L., & Smith, R. G. (1984). U.S. Patent No. 4,462,892. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Rights Management (c)United States Patent and Trademark Office
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 38,333 bytes
Identifier ir-eua/id/2860
Source DSpace at ICSE
ARK ark:/87278/s62c1x48
Setname ir_eua
ID 213978
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s62c1x48
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