Impact of fine solids on mined athabasca oil sands extraction II. Effect of fine solids with different surface wettability on bitumen recovery

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe effect of solids wettability on bitumen extraction recovery and froth quality was examined by adding fine solids (< 5 and < 40 μm silica, or < 5 μm kaolinite clays) and surfactants (dodecylamine) to the oil sands slurry. Oil sands extraction tests were run using a 1‐L Denver flotation cell at 50 °C. The results show that solids wettability plays a significant role in bitumen extraction recovery and froth quality. Adding fine solids to the oil sands slurry decreased bitumen recovery, and increased the amount of solids and water in the bitumen froth. The addition of finer solids (< 5 μm) into the oil sands slurry resulted in more solids and water in the bitumen froth than the addition of coarser solids (< 40 μm). Compared to hydrophilic solids, hydrophobized fine solids due to amine addition led to more fine solids being recovered to the bitumen froth. However, recovery of hydrophobized fine solids (resulting from amine adsorption) increased with smaller particle sizes, which is contrary to the trend in single mineral flotation where hydrophobized solids recovery increased with increasing particle sizes (for the size faction of < 44 μm).