Search
Skip to Search Results-
Colloid Science of Sand Remediation: A Study Motivated by the Non-Aqueous Extraction of Bitumen from Oil Sands
DownloadFall 2014
The current water-based method of bitumen extraction requires withdrawal of fresh water from the Athabasca River — a practice which leads to the continual buildup of tailings ponds and other environmental concerns. As Alberta’s bitumen production is expected to more than double by 2020, there is...
-
Fall 2014
The non-aqueous extraction process involves dilution of mined oil sand with an organic solvent (the “diluent”), followed by separation of unwanted materials (clays, silica sand, connate water, etc.) from the diluted bitumen. The main focus of this research is on the removal of fines solids from...
-
High-Float Emulsion Residue: A New Rheological Model Based on the Existence of a Yield Stress
DownloadFall 2016
“High-float” (HF) emulsions are dispersions of micron-sized bitumen droplets in water, with a special type of anionic surfactant functioning as stabilizer. By allowing the water to evaporate from an HF emulsion, what remains is called a “high-float emulsion residue.” Although indistinguishable in...