THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF SEPARATION PROCESSES FOR ATHABASCA TAR SANDS

Bitumen is currently separated from Athabasca tar sands using a hot-water flotation process. This process gives a good yield of bitumen but produces aqueous sludge which is a major environmental problem. In recent years, both solvent extraction and direct coking have been examined as alternative separation techniques which do not inherently produce aqueous tailings. The purpose of this paper is to compare solvent extraction with direct coking in terms of energy efficiency. This study can help guide future research and development efforts.