2018/07/03 by Dominik Kosior, Edwina Ngo, Yuming Xu · 2 citations
Chemistry · Engineering · #Petroleum Processing and Analysis #Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques #Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis
paper · doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b01656
openalex publication_date 2018/07/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The settling rate of aggregates formed during paraffinic froth treatment depends strongly on process conditions. This work examined the influences of process temperature, solvent-to-bitumen ratio (S/B), and type of solvent used on the settling rate. Experiments were performed at temperatures ranging from 30 to 90 °C and various S/Bs, using isopentane, n- pentane, and n- hexane as paraffinic solvents. Based on studies of the settling rate, two factors can be emphasized. First, process temperature has the greatest influence on the settling rate of aggregates. Second, for a given solvent and temperature, increasing S/B results in an increase of the settling rate. Study of the aggregates formed during paraffinic froth treatment allowed for better understanding of the phenomena affecting the settling rate. Besides developing an aggregate sampling method based on solubility parameters, experimental procedures for determining structural parameters were successfully applied.