Influence of humic acids on oil sand processing. Part I: Detection and quantification of humic acids in oil sand ores and their effect on bitumen wettability

Gutiérrez, Leopoldo; Pawlik, Marek

doi:10.1016/j.minpro.2013.12.002

Cited by 15 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Another factor contributing to the differences in the yield stresses of slurries of ores 1 and 5 is the degree of bitumen weathering in these samples. As was shown in our previous publication, [31] the amount of humic acids per mass of bitumen in oil sand ores was significantly higher in ore 5 than in ore 1. Accordingly, bitumen in ore 5 is expected to be less hydrophobic, which leads to weaker hydrophobic forces and lower yield stresses.…”

Section: Vane Testssupporting

confidence: 83%

“…It should also be remembered that the relative amount of humic matter per mass of bitumen is much higher in the case of ores 4 and 5, so the hydrophobicity of bitumen also varies from ore 1 to ore 5. [31] Bitumen in ore 1 can be expected to be more hydrophobic than bitumen in ore 5, and the wettability of bitumen also contributes to the trend in Figure 11. As shown by Gutierrez [35] even mild oxidation of an otherwise good quality ore drastically lowers the yield stress of a concentrated slurry prepared from the oxidized ore to a point where no slump could be measured and the slurry flowed freely.…”

Section: Effect Of Ore Quality On the Yield Stress Of Oil Sand Suspenmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Observations on the yielding behaviour of oil sand slurries under vane and slump tests

Gutiérrez

Pawlik²

2015

Can J Chem Eng

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Yield stress measurements were carried out on slurries prepared from five different ore samples of varying contents of bitumen and fines in the sand fraction. The rheological measurements were performed using the vane, slump, and relaxation methods, as well as by extrapolation of equilibrium flow curves to zero shear rate. In the case of the vane tests, it was found that the yield stress values agreed better with the results obtained from the other techniques when the yield stresses were calculated using a torque value at the point of departure from linearity on the initial section of experimental torque-time curves. It was found that the yield stress values of oil sand slurries increased with an increase in bitumen content in the ores. High-bitumen ores tended to yield within a volume of the slurry extending well beyond the geometry of the vane. In contrast, low-bitumen ores yielded much closer to the vane edges. As a result, the torque value at the point of departure from linearity on the torque-time curve was recommended for calculating the yield stress of high-bitumen ore slurries with the use of the vane technique. On the other hand, the maximum torque value on the torque-time curve can be used for determining the yield stress of low bitumen ores.

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Section: Vane Testssupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Effect Of Ore Quality On the Yield Stress Of Oil Sand Suspenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observations on the yielding behaviour of oil sand slurries under vane and slump tests

Gutiérrez

Pawlik²

2015

Can J Chem Eng

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“…The observed extraction/leaching of humic acids into the aqueous phase at high pH is in agreement with previous studies. [52][53][54][55] The release of humic acids in more alkali conditions could account for the observed 'jump' in resonance frequency shift between pH 9.3 and pH 10.2, as a result of humic acids adsorption on bitumencoated silica sensors. It is also interesting to note that the adsorption of humic acids by illite clay was observed by discoloration of the tailings water prepared with 0.5 wt.…”

Section: Slime Coating Potential Of Kaolinite and Illite Particles Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Caustic Addition in Bitumen–Clay Interactions

et al. 2015

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Coating of bitumen by clays, known as slime coating is detrimental to bitumen recovery from oil sands using the warm slurry extraction process. Sodium hydroxide (caustic) is added to the extraction process to balance many competing processing challenges which include undesirable slime coating. The current research aims at understanding the role of caustic addition in controlling interactions of bitumen with various types of model clays. The interaction potential was studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). After confirming the slime coating potential of montmorillonite clays on bitumen in the presence of calcium ions, interaction of kaolinite and illite with bitumen was studied. To make our study more closely related to industrial applications, tailings water from bitumen extraction tests using Denver flotation cell at different caustic additions was used. At caustic dosage up to 0.5 wt.% of oil sands ore, a negligible coating of kaolinite on the bitumen was determined. However, at lower level of caustic addition illite was shown to attach to the bitumen, with the interaction potential decreasing with increasing caustic dosage. Increasing concentration of humic acids as a result of increasing caustic dosage was identified to limit the interaction potential of illite with bitumen.2 This fundamental study clearly shows that the critical role of caustics in modulating interactions of clays with bitumen depends on the type of clays, guiding the multi-billion dollar oil sands industry to identify clay type as a key operational variable.

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“…Little difference was found between the two humic acids in terms of the asphaltene mobility. Additionally, the coating of humic acids on the asphaltene surface rendered the asphaltenes more hydrophilic and made it resistant to non-aqueous solvent such as toluene during solvent extraction (Gutierrez and Pawlik, 2014).…”

Section: Co-aggregation Of Asphaltene With Humic Substances In the Ommentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into asphaltene aggregation in the Na-montmorillonite interlayer

Zhu

Chen

2016

Chemosphere

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Influence of humic acids on oil sand processing. Part I: Detection and quantification of humic acids in oil sand ores and their effect on bitumen wettability

Cited by 15 publications

References 21 publications

Observations on the yielding behaviour of oil sand slurries under vane and slump tests

Observations on the yielding behaviour of oil sand slurries under vane and slump tests

Role of Caustic Addition in Bitumen–Clay Interactions

Insights into asphaltene aggregation in the Na-montmorillonite interlayer

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