Nonaqueous extraction (NAE) is a potential process to replace water-extraction process and eliminate the problems associated with it. However, the high solids content of NAE product bitumen remains a major challenge. In the present work, a process of low-temperature thermal treatment coupled with water addition, or hydrothermal treatment, was investigated to remove solids from treated NAE bitumen mixture. Laboratory hydrothermal treatment was conducted at 200-300°C for a reaction time of 30 min at 200 psi initial pressure. The filterability of fine solids was quantitatively characterized by room-temperature filtration of toluene-diluted treated bitumen mixture. Thermal treatment alone at 200°C and 250°C yielded products that were unfilterable, but treatment at 300°C yielded a filterable product. However, thermal treatment coupled with water addition facilitated fines removal by filtration by yielding a filterable product at 200°C and 250°C and decreasing the filtration time at 300°C. The effects of the sub-critical water on the filtration were studied.

Effects of low-temperature hydrothermal treatment on the properties and removal of fine solids from nonaqueous extraction (NAE) bitumen

2019 Fall National Meeting

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