| 摘要 |
An oleophilic separation apparatus and process for replacing bitumen froth flotation with a more efficient high quality bitumen production process that is ten times faster, operates at 30 degrees centigrade or lower and does not require caustic process aid. It features tumbling oleophilic balls or oleophilic rods in a driven rotating agglomerator cage with apertured cylindrical wall that hangs in closely spaced multipe wraps of endless oleophilic metal or plastic rope from internally heated rollers to produce high purity warm free flowing bitumen product from oil sand slurry or from tailings pond fluid fine tailings feed. The rods or balls transfer from the feed to their surfaces bitumen paste with a viscosity similar to conventional ketchup or tooth paste. This paste extrudes through the bottom of the apertured cage bottom to the oleophilic rope wraps for conveyance to internally heated rollers above the drum to produce a free flowing high quality bitumen product. The aqueous effluent tailings flow out of the drum past the wraps and may be stored for a few months in a working tailings pond to settle solids and to concentrate bitumen in the resulting fluid fine tailings for subsequent recovery at ambient temperature of more bitumen to achieve very high total bitumen recovery. The process features short processing time, low thermal energy requirements and minimal materials handling. It may lead to bitumen extraction right at the mine face to reduce: 1) the cost of producing bitumen, 2) the environmental impact of bitumen production and 3) the cost of purchasing carbon credits resulting from its low energy requirements. |
