Method of separating bitumin from bituminous sands and preparing organic acids

A method of separating bitumin from bituminous sand containing an intimate admixture of bitumin and sand comprising the steps of intimately contacting the bituminous sand with an aqueous medium containing a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst until the aqueous medium penetrates the bituminous sand and the bitumin will separate from the sand, thereafter agitating the bituminous sand in the aqueous medium to separate the bitumin from the sand, the temperature of the aqueous medium during the agitation step being sufficiently elevated whereby the bitumin separates from the sand, and recovering the separated bitumin from the aqueous medium, the said catalyst being prepared by a process comprising

• admixing a water soluble alkali metal silicate with an aqueous medium containing a dissolved substance which is a source of calcium ion and a dissolved substance which is a source of magnesium ion,
• the aqueous medium containing said dissolved substances in amounts to provide between about 1 .times. 10.sup.-.sup.4 and 1 .times. 10.sup.-.sup.1 mole per liter each of calcium ion and magnesium ion,
• the aqueous medium containing said dissolved substances in amounts to provide a molar ratio of calcium ion to magnesium ion between about 2.0:1.0 and 1.0:2.0,
• the alkali metal silicate having an alkali metal oxide to silicon dioxide ratio between about 0.9:1.0 and less than 2.0:1.0 and being admixed with the aqueous medium in an amount of about 0.05-2 moles per liter,
• the alkali metal silicate reacting with said dissolved substances providing calcium ion and magnesium ion to thereby produce an aqueous suspension of finely divided particles of a reaction product,
• admixing a micelle-forming surfactant with the aqueous medium in an amount to form catalyst micelles comprising said finely divided particles of the reaction product upon agitating the aqueous medium, and
• agitating the aqueous medium containing the finely divided particles of the reaction product and surfactant to form said catalyst micelles.