Patent ID: 9238232
Filing Date: 2016-01-19
CPC Classification: B04B

Claim Text:
1. A method separating hydrocarbon portions from mineral portions of a tar sand comprising: treating the tar sand with a solvent to solubilize hydrocarbon portions; continuously introducing the treated tar sand to centrifugal force in a centrifuge in the presence of water sufficient to form a layered system comprising a solids layer comprising the mineral portions in the form of tar sand depleted of the solubilized hydrocarbon portions, a layer of water, and a layer of petroleum substances comprising the solvent and the solubilized hydrocarbon portions; continuously maintaining an amount of water in the layer of water to maintain within the layer of water a perforated barrier member of the centrifuge in the layered system between the solids layer and the layer of petroleum substances that allows solubilized hydrocarbon portions to be conveyed by the centrifugal force from the solids layer to the layer of petroleum substances; continuously removing the sand from the solids layer in the layered system; continuously removing petroleum substances from the petroleum layer in the layered system.