Colloidal Clay Gelation: Relevance to Current Oil Sands Operations

Mercier, Patrick H. J.; Ng, Samson; Moran, Kevin; Sparks, B.D.; Kingston, David; Kotlyar, L.S.; Kung, J.; Woods, John R.; Patarachao, Bussaraporn; McCracken, T.

doi:10.1080/10916466.2010.495959

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the oil sands industry, it is generally recognised that bitumen recovery decreases with increasing fines (<44 µm) content in the oil sands using the hot water extraction process . However, as more information on processability parameters has become available, the importance of the clay mineral component (size fractions <3 µm) has become apparent . The negative effects of clay minerals on bitumen extraction from the oil sands have been reported by several researchers .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, as more information on processability parameters has become available, the importance of the clay mineral component (size fractions <3 µm) has become apparent . The negative effects of clay minerals on bitumen extraction from the oil sands have been reported by several researchers . In addition, Omotoso and Mikula have also suggested that the presence of Fe (oxyhydr)oxides with high surface area may have negative consequences on bitumen extractability from the oil sands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Characterisation of petrologic end members of oil sands from the athabasca region, Alberta, Canada

Osacký¹,

Geramian

Dyar

et al. 2013

Can J Chem Eng

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this study was to perform mineral and chemical characterisation of the four petrologic end members of Alberta oil sands in order to better understand the mineralogical and geochemical factors affecting bitumen extraction. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that the petrologic end members contain a variable amount of quartz, clay minerals, carbonates, K‐feldspar, TiO2 minerals and pyrite and the Fe‐containing phases were also observed in Mössbauer spectra. Scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive X‐ray (SEM‐EDX) analysis also showed the presence of Fe–Ti oxide minerals. Mössbauer results also indicated the presence of lepidocrocite in the fine fractions in amounts below the detection limit of XRD. Interstratified illite–smectite was found only in clay‐rich petrologic end members. Calcite and dolomite were primarily concentrated in the fine fractions of marine petrologic end members. Conversely, siderite was found mainly in the coarse fraction of estuarine petrologic end members. The relative amount of toluene insoluble organics was higher in the fine fractions of marine petrologic end members.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterisation of petrologic end members of oil sands from the athabasca region, Alberta, Canada

Osacký¹,

Geramian

Dyar

et al. 2013

Can J Chem Eng

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Focusing on the < 1 µm fraction, researchers showed that the ultrafine fraction of delaminated clay particles sized between 20–300 nm influenced the stability and overall behaviour of MFT in the presence of cations . Kotlyar et al studied the effect of Na + , the most common electrolyte in process water, on the gelation of fine tailings, and showed that as little as 3 wt% (0.03 g/g, 1–1.5 vol%) of these ultrafine particles in the presence of typical Na + compositions were required to produce a stable thixotropic gel network .…”

Section: The Multi‐dimensional Problem Of Tailingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This limit was defined as the critical gel concentration. Smaller clay particles with lower crystallinity also seem to interact more strongly with organic materials …”

Section: The Multi‐dimensional Problem Of Tailingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Tailings Composition on Flocculation

Botha

Soares

2015

Can J Chem Eng

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

It is hard to treat fine tailings resulting from oil sands extraction processes. No current fine tailings treatment technology can completely eliminate tailings ponds, despite considerable efforts to address the slow settling of fines and to facilitate the consolidation of sediments. Some treatments use coagulants and coarse solids to form composite or consolidated tailings; others use polymer flocculants. The performance of polymer flocculants is evaluated empirically, with fine tailings often being considered as a black box. Some fundamental studies use single clay systems, such as kaolinite suspended in water, as models to evaluate the performance of polymer flocculants. While it is easier to relate polymer performance to specific conditions in these simpler systems, it is difficult to translate these results to the treatment of the much more complex tailings environment. For the rational design of polymer flocculants, one must understand the interactions between polymers and the several components in tailings. With this information in hand, one can optimize the molecular structure of polymer flocculants to treat oil sands tailings efficiently. In this review, we summarize the published research on flocculation performance within the context of complex fine tailings systems. Furthermore, we describe the compositional complexity of mature fine tailings to help the design of more representative model tailings systems.

show abstract

“…1 It may take up to 150 years for MFT to consolidate by gravity to the point when the sediments become trafficable and it is possible to reclaim the land occupied by the tailings pond. 2 The slow consolidation and dewatering of MFT originates from a combination of factors, such as the presence of ultrafine clay particles, 3 interstratified swellable clays, 4 medium pH and process water composition. 5 The Canadian oil sands industry developed rapidly in recent decades, producing a considerable volume of tailings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%