Probing bubble-bitumen-mineral interaction mechanisms in bitumen liberation and extraction from oil dands by quantitative force measurements

通过定量力测量探讨沥青释放和从油中提取的气泡-沥青-矿物相互作用机制

• 批准号: 543480-2019
• 负责人: Zeng, Hongbo
• 金额: $ 5.1万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=720721
• 关键词: Probing; bubble; bitumen; mineral; interaction

Hydrotransport is a critical process step in surface mining and bitumen extraction of oil sands. During hydrotransport of surface mined oil sands, several in-pipe conditioning steps occur, including bitumen liberation from mineral solids, bitumen droplet coalescence, air entrainment and air bubble attachment onto bitumen and so on, which are crucial steps for bitumen recovery. Bitumen froth quality and bitumen recovery are largely influenced by these interactions, which are dictated by their interfacial properties and the complex composition of the processing media. Previous studies have mainly focused on model systems or jar tests, with limited quantitative fundamental understanding of these interactions under simulated process water conditions. A holistic fundamental and quantitative characterization of the above interactions, particularly under the influence of caustic and surfactants (naturally occurring or additives), is not present within the oil sands industry.The proposed project aims to quantify the interaction forces among bubbles, bitumen and mineral solids in process water conditions (e.g., influence of caustic, surfactants, ionic species), and correlate these interaction mechanisms to bitumen liberation and flotation performances in oil sands production. The quantitative characterization of these interaction forces in process water conditions is of both fundamental and practical importance in oil sands production. The successful completion of this research will provide useful characterization database to the oil sands industry to optimize the operation conditions in hydrotransport and bitumen extraction to enhance bitumen recovery. It is anticipated that a useful model for the correlation of bitumen-bubble-mineral solid interactions, process water chemistry, and liberation/flotation for bitumen extraction can be established based on the experimental results obtained, which can help the oil sands industry to predict related operability and better modulate the processing conditions for enhanced bitumen recovery.

Hydrotransport是表面采矿和油砂沥青提取的关键过程步骤。在表面开采油砂的水力转运期间，发生了几个管制调节步骤，包括矿物质固体，沥青液滴结合，空气入口和气泡附着的沥青释放，等等，这是沥青恢复的关键步骤。沥青泡沫质量和沥青恢复在很大程度上受这些相互作用的影响，这些相互作用由它们的界面特性和加工介质的复杂组成决定。先前的研究主要集中在模型系统或JAR测试上，在模拟过程水条件下，对这些相互作用的定量基本了解有限。 A holistic fundamental and quantitative characterization of the above interactions, particularly under the influence of caustic and surfactants (naturally occurring or additives), is not present within the oil sands industry.The proposed project aims to quantify the interaction forces among bubbles, bitumen and mineral solids in process water conditions (e.g., influence of caustic, surfactants, ionic species), and correlate these interaction mechanisms to bitumen油砂生产中的解放和浮选性能。这些相互作用力在过程水条件下的定量表征在油砂生产中具有基本和实际重要性。这项研究的成功完成将为油砂行业提供有用的表征数据库，以优化氢运输和沥青提取中的操作条件，以增强沥青恢复。可以预期，可以根据获得的实验结果来建立一个有用的模型，用于将沥青 - 粉 - 粉矿物质固体相互作用，工艺水化学和沥青提取的解放/浮选建立，这可以帮助油砂行业预测相关的可操作性，并更好地调节加工的沥青恢复。