The role of gas bubbles in bitumen recovery from tar sands in hot-water processing

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Author Drelich, Jaroslaw; Lelinski, Dariusz; Hupka, Jan; Miller, Jan D.
Title The role of gas bubbles in bitumen recovery from tar sands in hot-water processing
Date 1994-05
Description Complete bitumen disengagement and displacement from tar sand during digestion is a determining but not sufficient condition for satisfactory bitumen recovery in the hot water process. The density of most bitumens is close to that of the aqueous phase, and fine, mineral particles reside in the bitumen drop and at the bitumen/water interface. Therefore, bitumen droplets generally need to contain an appropriate amount of gas in order to achieve sufficient bouyancy in the digested suspension. In this regard, the interactions of gas bubbles with the bitumen during digestion and during scavenging of residual bitumen from tailings need further elucidation. An improved efficiency in bitumen recovery from tar sand was observed in large scale laboratory experiments when the tar sand slurry was intentionally aerated by air sparging during digestion. The mechanism of air bubble attachment to the bitumen droplet (still associated with sand), the spreading of bitumen on a gas bubble, and the release of bitumen-enveloped bubbles from the sand particles seem to be of practical significance for the effective separation of bitumen from tar sand and are discussed herein. These interactions can be controlled by the addition of inorganic reactants in the process water, resulting in reduced bitumen/water interfacial tension. The gas bubble-bitumen interactions also control flotation of the residual bitumen from tailings. It was demonstrated that recovery of the dispersed organic phase can be successfully accomplished by flotation in an airsparged hydrocyclone when appropriate surface-chemistry criteria are met.
Publisher University of Kentucky, Institute for Mining and Minerals Research
Subject gas bubbles in bitumen recovery; bitumen recovery; hot water process
Language eng
Conference Title 1993 Eastern Oil Shale Symposium
Bibliographic Citation Drelich, J., Lelinski, D., Hupka, J., Miller, J. D. (1994). The role of gas bubbles in bitumen recovery from tar sands in hot-water processing. Proceedings: 1993 Eastern Oil Shale Symposium; Oil shale, oil sands, heavy oil. University of Kentucky, Institute for Mining and Minerals Research. pp. 100-109
Relation Has Part Proceedings: 1993 Eastern Oil Shale Symposium; Oil shale, oil sands, heavy oil, pp. 100-109 (1994)
ARK ark:/87278/s6254hdz
Setname ir_eua
ID 214725
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6254hdz
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