Process to separate bituminous material from sand (tar sands)

Patent · Tue Aug 03 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6683875

Gagon, H W

Bituminous sand such as oil sand or tar sand is mixed with a halogenated organic solvent which has a density greater than that of water at the same temperature. The slurry is continuously transferred to a conveyor system which is at least partially submerged in water, with the slurry being fed onto the portion of the conveyor which is submerged. As the sands move through the water on the conveyor, the organic solvent containing the bituminous material separates from the sand and forms a separate phase beneath the water. The sands ultimately move upwardly on the conveyor through the surface of the water. The organic phase is removed from beneath the water surface and the halogenated solvent is flashed therefrom in a flash evaporator chamber. Solvent vapors are withdrawn from the evaporator chamber by a compressor, and the compressed vapors are introduced into a condenser chamber. A heat exchange medium is continuously circulated between the condenser and evaporator chambers, with heat being transferred from the heat exchange medium in the evaporator and back to the heat exchange medium in the condenser. Bituminous organic material is withdrawn from the evaporator chamber and condensed solvent is recovered from the condenser. Preferably, the heat exchange means comprises a plurality of heat pipes, with mutually respective end portions of the heat pipes extending into the condenser chamber and the other end portions extending into the evaporator chamber.

• Assignee: EDB-83-014517
• Patent Number(s): US 4342639
• OSTI ID: 6683875
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040400* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Oil Production
Recovery
& Refining
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CONVEYORS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HAULAGE EQUIPMENT
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PIPES
HEAT TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT
MIXTURES
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SLURRIES
SUSPENSIONS
TAR