| 摘要 |
This invention relates to an improved process for extraction organic material from bituminous sands or oil bearing sand, including: diluent slurrying in a conditioning drum; screening the slurry and directing it into one or two helical classifiers in counter-current with diluent, to obtain in the overflow the organic matter in solution with diluent; feeding the mineral matter, withdrawn from the classifiers, substantially free of bitumen or oil, but saturated with diluent, into a column where it settles towards the bottom through diluent and then through an aqueous medium, under and in direct contact with the diluent. Process control agents are added to the aqueous medium. Diluent and fresh water are continuously fed into the vessel. From the column there are withdrawn: an oil-diluent product, in the upper part, to be recycled to the previous process phases; a water product, containing some impurities, in the middle part, to be treated and recycled; a wet mineral phase, substantially free of oil, at the bottom. If necessary, this last product may be finally washed in a helical classifier, in counter-current with water, to recover any remanent oil or diluent. The diluent losses in the process are replaced by an appropriate distillation control in the refining phase to obtain a constant diluent flow. Consequently the diluent used in the process will be made of the organic matter light ends of the processed bitumen or oil with no diluent supply.
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