MICROWAVE-ASSISTED BITUMEN EXTRACTION WITH VACUUM-ASSISTED SEDIMENT FILTRATION

摘要

Method for characterizing a heavily biodegraded oil sand ore sample by microwave-assisted bitumen extraction. Vacuum-filtration of solvent-extracted bitumen and sediments provides a means to recover sediment fines down to a particle size of 0.8 μm, which is the analytical requirement for accurate mineralogical analysis of the clay mineral fraction. The method may be completed in hours, making it suitable for "just-in-time" analyses at the mine site. The recovered sediment and sediment fines are suitable for characterization using traditional analytical techniques to understand mineralogy, petrology, and reservoir properties.