| 摘要 |
There is described an improved method and apparatus for the separation of bitumen from a slurry of mature fine tailing or MFT. The method includes suspending at least one vertically-oriented hydrophilic drain plate in a separation tank containing a pool of MFT at a starting position below the surface of the pool, removing the drain plate in a vertical direction out of the pool at a first, relatively fast, rate of speed, thereby causing a boundary layer of MFT to adhere to the sides of the drain plate. The drain plate is held a maximum point above the surface of the pool for a certain period of time, thereby allowing the boundary layer of MFT to begin draining back into the pool and allowing the suspended particles of bitumen contained within the boundary layer to reach a surface of the boundary layer and be deposited on the surface of the pool as the boundary layer drains back into the pool. The drain plate is then returned to the starting position at a second rate of speed that is relatively slower than the first rate of speed, and the bitumen particles deposited on the surface of the pool of MFT are removed using a hydrophobic roller system. |
