Use of light hydrocarbons in tar sand processing
Abstract
Abstract BITUMEN IS RECOVERED FROM BITUMINOUS SAND CONTAINING THE SAME BY FORMING A SLURRY OF BITUMINOUS SAND, WATER AND NORMALLY LIQUID HYDROCARBON MATERIAL AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF THE HYDROCARBON MATERIAL. THE SLURRY IS THEN INTRODUCED INTO A BODY OF WATER MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF THE HYDROCARBON MATERIAL SO THAT THE HYDROCARBON MATERIAL EVOLVES AS A GAS AND AIDS IN FLOATING BITUMEN TO THE TOP OF THE WATER FOR RECOVERY THEREFROM. THE SLURRY IS PREFERABLY FORMED AT A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST 10*F. BELOW THE BOILING POINT OF THE HYDROCARBON MATERIAL, PREFERABLY BETWEEN 80 AND 140*F. WHILE THE BODY OF WATER IS PREFERABLY MAINTAINED AT LEAST ABOUT 10*F. ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF THE HYDROCARBON MATERIAL, PREFERABLY BETWEEN 140 AND 210*F. C3 HYDROCARBONS, SUCH AS NORMAL OR ISOHEXANE BOILING BETWEEN ABOUT 120 AND ABOUT 160*F. ARE PREFERRED. PRESSURE IS PREFERABLY MAINTAINED RELATIVELY CONSTANT, I.E. WITH VARIATIONS LESS THAN FIVE P.S.I. THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS PREFERRED FOR CONVENIENCE.
Inventors
- 👤 Lubomyr M O Cymbalisty
Bibliographic Details
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