초록 ▼

Embodiments of a method and a system for recovering energy, materials or both from asphaltene-containing tailings are disclosed. The asphaltene-containing tailings can be generated, for example, from a process for recovering hydrocarbons from oil sand. Embodiments of the method can include a flotati

Embodiments of a method and a system for recovering energy, materials or both from asphaltene-containing tailings are disclosed. The asphaltene-containing tailings can be generated, for example, from a process for recovering hydrocarbons from oil sand. Embodiments of the method can include a flotation separation and a hydrophobic agglomeration separation. Flotation can be used to separate the asphaltene-containing tailings into an asphaltene-rich froth and an asphaltene-depleted aqueous phase. The asphaltene-rich froth, or an asphaltene-rich slurry formed from the asphaltene-rich froth, then can be separated into a heavy mineral concentrate and a light tailings. Hydrophobic agglomeration can be used to recover an asphaltene concentrate from the light tailings. Another flotation separation can be included to remove sulfur-containing minerals from the heavy mineral concentrate. Oxygen-containing minerals also can be recovered from the heavy mineral concentrate. Water removed by the various separation steps can be recycled and its heat energy recovered.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A method, comprising: introducing gas into asphaltene-containing tailings such that asphaltenes in the asphaltene-containing tailings rise with bubbles of the gas to form an asphaltene-rich froth over an asphaltene-depleted aqueous phase comprising water and non-floatable minerals; sep

We claim: 1. A method, comprising: introducing gas into asphaltene-containing tailings such that asphaltenes in the asphaltene-containing tailings rise with bubbles of the gas to form an asphaltene-rich froth over an asphaltene-depleted aqueous phase comprising water and non-floatable minerals; separating the asphaltene-rich froth, or an asphaltene-rich slurry formed from the asphaltene-rich froth, into a heavy mineral concentrate and a light tailings comprising water and asphaltenes; dispersing a hydrophobic agglomeration agent within the light tailings to form droplets, wherein the droplets agglomerate with the asphaltenes to form asphaltene-containing particles; and separating the asphaltene-containing particles from the light tailings as an asphaltene concentrate. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asphaltene-containing tailings comprise tailings from a process for recovering hydrocarbons from oil sand. 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recovering heat energy from the asphaltene-depleted aqueous phase. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein separating the asphaltene-containing particles from the light tailings comprises separating the asphaltene-containing particles from the light tailings by gravity separation. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein separating the asphaltene-containing particles from the light tailings comprises separating the asphaltene-containing particles from the light tailings by filtration. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heavy mineral concentrate comprises titania, ilmenite, zirconia, or a combination thereof. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic agglomeration agent comprises diesel, a fuel oil, a surfactant, or a combination or derivative thereof. 8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising introducing a frother reagent comprising an aliphatic alcohol, a cyclic alcohol, a phenol, an alkoxy paraffin, a polyglycol, or a combination or derivative thereof, into the asphaltene-containing tailings before or while introducing gas into the asphaltene-containing tailings. 9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising introducing a collector reagent comprising a fuel oil, sodium oleate, a fatty acid, a xanthate, an alkyl sulfuric salt, a dithiophosphate, an amine, or a combination or derivative thereof, into the asphaltene-containing tailings before or while introducing gas into the asphaltene-containing tailings. 10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising introducing a dispersant reagent comprising a silicate, a phosphate, a citrate, a lignin sulfonate, or a combination or derivative thereof, into the asphaltene-rich froth or the asphaltene-rich slurry before or while separating the asphaltene-rich froth or the asphaltene-rich slurry into a heavy mineral concentrate and a light tailings. 11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising introducing an oxidizing agent into the light tailings before or while dispersing the hydrophobic agglomeration agent. 12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising introducing a causticizing agent into the light tailings before or while dispersing the hydrophobic agglomeration agent. 13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising introducing an oxidizing agent and a causticizing agent or a mixture thereof into the light tailings before or while dispersing the hydrophobic agglomeration agent. 14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing water from the asphaltene-rich froth or the asphaltene-rich slurry, and further comprising recovering heat energy from the water removed from the asphaltene-rich froth or the asphaltene-rich slurry. 15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising separating coarse minerals from the asphaltene-containing tailings before introducing gas into the asphaltene-containing tailings. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein separating coarse minerals from the asphaltene-containing tailings comprises subjecting the asphaltene-containing tailings to a cyclone separation process, and the coarse minerals are removed with an underflow from the cyclone separation process. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the cyclone separation process is a gas-sparged hydrocyclone separation process. 18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising separating sulfur-containing minerals from the heavy mineral concentrate. 19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising attritioning the heavy mineral concentrate before separating the sulfur-containing minerals from the heavy mineral concentrate. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein attritioning the heavy mineral concentrate comprises attritioning to clean the mineral surfaces. 21. The method according to claim 18, wherein separating the sulfur-containing minerals from the heavy mineral concentrate comprises: introducing gas into the heavy mineral concentrate such that the sulfur-containing minerals rise with bubbles of the gas to form a sulfur-rich froth over a sulfur-depleted aqueous phase comprising water and oxygen-containing minerals; and recovering the oxygen-containing minerals from the sulfur-depleted aqueous phase. 22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising recovering the sulfur-containing minerals from the sulfur-rich froth or a sulfur-rich slurry formed from the sulfur-rich froth. 23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the oxygen-containing minerals comprise titania, ilmenite, zirconia, or a combination thereof. 24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising introducing a frother reagent comprising an aliphatic alcohol, a cyclic alcohol, a phenol, an alkoxy paraffin, a polyglycol, or a combination or derivative thereof, into the heavy mineral concentrate before or while introducing gas into the heavy mineral concentrate. 25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising introducing a collector reagent comprising a fuel oil, sodium oleate, a fatty acid, a xanthate, a alkyl sulfuric salt, a dithiophosphate, an amine, or a combination or derivative thereof, into the heavy mineral concentrate before or while introducing gas into the heavy mineral concentrate. 26. The method according to claim 1, further separating a lignite concentrate from the asphaltene-rich froth or an asphaltene-rich slurry formed from the asphaltene-rich forth. 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein separating the lignite concentrate comprises performing a screening process, a gravity separation process, a solvent extraction process or a combination thereof. 28. A method for recovering energy, materials or both from asphaltene-containing tailings, comprising: introducing a hydrophobic agglomeration agent into tailings comprising water, asphaltenes and inorganic minerals; dispersing the hydrophobic agglomeration agent to form droplets, wherein the droplets agglomerate with the asphaltenes to form asphaltene-containing particles; and separating the asphaltene-containing particles from the tailings as an asphaltene concentrate. 29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the asphaltene-containing tailings comprise tailings from a process for recovering hydrocarbons from oil sand. 30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the hydrophobic agglomeration agent comprises diesel, a fuel oil, a surfactant, or a combination or derivative thereof.