Abstract
Abstract Sand and bitumen were separated mechanically from Athabasca oil sands using cold water in a plate mill. Sand extraction was found to be a function of the product of rotational frequency, oil sands charge weight, and the inverse fourth power of the distance between the rotating plate and the bottom of the mill. Ranges of testing were 20–150 rpm, 10–100 g, and 1.3–27 mm for rotational frequency, oil sand charge, and clearance, respectively. Sand extractions were primarily the result of particle-vessel collisions resulting in brittle failure of the bitumen layer. Extractions reached a limit for each set of experimental conditions after approximately 5 min. The maximum concentration of bitumen in the oil sand fraction was 27% by weight or 50% by volume. A dimensional analysis showed extraction to be a function of Reynolds number, volume fraction of oil sands, and the ratio of clearance to mill radius.
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