Processing of tar sands
US4424113A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 7, 1983 |
| Grant date | Jan 3, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 7, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC10G1/047
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention relates to an improved process for the recovery of bitumen from tar sands comprising first heating the raw tar sands with steam at a temperature sufficient to visbreak a portion of the bitumen without significant thermal cracking thereby producing a vaporous distillate product mixed with steam and lowering the viscosity and specific gravity of the residual bitumen on the heat treated tar sands. The distillate product and steam are cooled and condensed and mixed with the heat treated tar sands containing residual beneficiated bitumen to form a slurry. Bitumen is then recovered from the slurry by a hot-water separation process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.