Process for separating bitumen from tar sand recovered from deposits by mining

Patent · Mon Nov 04 23:00:00 EST 1974

OSTI ID:6537878

Walker, C O

A method is described for separating oil from mined tar sand. The mined tar-sand material is fed into a mixing container and contacted with a hot alkaline polyphosphate solution. Bitumen separates from sand without formation of an emulsion or a froth. The fluid used in conjunction with this separation technique is an aqueous solution of a polyphosphate wetting agent, such as sodium acid pyrophosphate, plus an alkalinity agent, such as sodium hydroxide. The fluid is heated to 100/sup 0/ to 200/sup 0/F. The portion of bitumen dispersed in the aqueous phase is separated from the phosphate solution by contacting the fluid with a hydrocarbon fluid such as diesel oil. (20 claims)

• Assignee: Texaco Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 3846276
• OSTI ID: 6537878
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DESIGN
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
MATERIALS
MINING
MIXTURES
OIL SAND MINING
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
RETORTING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SOLUTIONS
SURFACTANTS
TAR
WETTING AGENTS