Mineral matter distribution during the hot water processing of Utah tar sand

Mineralogical analyses of a U.S. tar sand sample from the Whiterocks deposit in the Uinta Basin, Utah, were performed by FTIR, XRD and XRF. The tar sand sample was subjected to the modified hot water process for the bitumen separation and the attendant distribution of constituent minerals into the bitumen concentrate and tailings produced was noted. The minerals reporting to these two streams were analyzed by wet chemical and spectroscopic methods. The major minerals present in the sample were determined to be quartz, carbonate minerals, feldspar and kaolinite. The results indicated that kaolinite, carbonates, and other trace minerals such as rutile and zircon selectively report to the bitumen concentrate. Although only 4.2 wt% of the tar sand solids report to the bitumen concentrate, they disproportionately carry 48 wt.% of the total carbonate minerals. A similar partitioning of the trace elements also occurs. The principal carbonate minerals were determined to be calcite, dolomite and others containing Fe, Sr and Mn. Reporting of these minerals to the bitumen concentrate is explained on the basis of the adsorption of earboxylic acids and other polar organic molecules which render the carbonate minerals hydrophobic. Under these circumstances the carbonate minerals are floated along with the tjitumen. Finally, using electron microprobe and optical microscopy, the titanium bearing mineral was identified as rutile.