Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9675269 | Advances in Colloid and Interface Science | 2005 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
The existence of a thin aqueous film, separating bitumen (a form of heavy oil) from inorganic solids in Athabasca Oil Sands, is analysed based on “first principles”. There is a general consensus in the literature on the hydrophilic character of the solids in oil sands. However, a review of the references cited in support of the solids being encapsulated in thin water envelopes produced a surprising lack of evidence. A theoretical analysis indicates that a water film separating clean, hydrophilic quartz and bitumen is stable under most conditions, and unstable for acidic oil sand ores. The existence of water-wet solids in the Athabasca Oil Sands remains a reasonable yet unproven postulate. It could therefore be dangerous to accept the water-wet solids postulate and then use it to interpret other phenomena.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Colloid and Surface Chemistry
Authors
Jan Czarnecki, Boryan Radoev, Laurier L. Schramm, Radomir Slavchev,