Process for recovering bitumen from oil sand
Bituminous sand such as oil sand or tar sand is mixed with steam and water in a tumbler to produce a slurry. Oversized particles are removed and the slurry is transferred into a water bath containing a submerged moving, apertured, separator, such as an endless belt having an oleophilic surface and top and bottom flights. The slurry falls through the water onto the top flight of the belt where the bitumen is attracted to the apertured oleophilic surface and adheres thereto. The adhering bitumen is then removed from the belt. Mineral particles in the slurry and the remaining bitumen pass through the apertures of the top flight and fall through the water onto the bottom flight of the belt. The remaining bitumen of the slurry is attracted to the apertured oleophilic surface of the bottom flight and adheres thereto. The adhering bitumen is then removed from the belt. The mineral particles of the slurry and a very small amount of remaining bitumen pass through the apertures to fall to the bottom of the water bath for subsequent removal. The process gives a good recovery of bitumen product which has acceptable quantities of solid and water contamination. Compared with the prior art it has the feature that the oleophilic apertured surface does not have to be removed from the water bath to collect bitumen therefrom.
- Assignee:
- IFI; EDB-81-054577
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4224138
- OSTI ID:
- 6795795
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
040402* -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Surface Methods
BITUMENS
BITUMINOUS MATERIALS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
OIL SAND PROCESSING PLANTS
OIL SANDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
SLURRIES
SUSPENSIONS
TAR