Bitumen extraction process
AssigneeThe Chemours Company Fc, LLC
InventorRobert Harvey Moffett
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Abstract
A process for the extraction and recovery of bitumen from oil sands using deionized silicate solutions. Bitumen is recovered in a process comprising contacting a deionized silicate solution with an ore sand oil to produce a froth comprising bitumen and a tailings stream comprising water, sand and clay fines and optionally unrecovered bitumen. Preferably the tailings stream is dewatered and recovered water may be recycled to the extraction process.
Claims19
A process for extracting bitumen from an oil sands ore, comprising (a) providing an aqueous slurry of an oil sands ore, and (b) contacting the slurry with a deionized silicate solution and optionally a caustic, to extract bitumen from the ore to produce i) a froth comprising bitumen, and ii) an aqueous tailings stream comprising sand and clay fines;
- wherein the deionized silicate solution has a molar ratio of Si:M of at least 2.6, wherein M is an alkali metal and the deionized silicate solution has a S-value of 50% or greater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.