Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.82, No.4, 710-721, 2004
Investigation of oil sands froth treatment
Two oil sand froth treatment methods are investigated: 1) dilution with an aromatic solvent followed by centrifugation (AS Method); 2) dilution with a paraffinic solvent followed by gravity settling (PS Method). The effectiveness of the methods is assessed in terms of bitumen recovery and the water content in the recovered diluted bitumen. The optimum solvent-to-bitumen ratios are identified considering process type, ore quality, temperature, and residence time.