Microbubble flotation process for the separation of bitumen from an oil sands slurry
US4783268A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 28, 1987 |
| Grant date | Nov 8, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC10G1/047
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An improvement is provided to the known hot water process for extracting bitumen from mined oil sand. More particularly, a methodology is provided for the production of microbubbles of air, and it has been found that the so-produced microbubbles can be used in the primary flotation/settling step of the hot water process to yield increased bitumen recovery. More particularly, a steam stream and an air stream in admixture are injected via a submerged nozzle into a flowing aqueous stream. A plurality of finely dispersed microbubbles are formed. These microbubbles have a diameter less than about 100 microns. The stream of microbubbles is injected into the diluted aqueous tar sand slurry formed in the hot water process. The injection is practiced following the conditioning step and prior to the introduction of the slurry into the flotation/settling step.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.