Patent ID: 7771588
Filing Date: 2010-08-10
Classification: B01D,C10G,C23F

Abstract:
1. A method of improving separation of oil from an oil sands matrix comprising contacting said oil sands matrix with a treatment comprising an acetylenic surfactant compound or compounds selected from the Groups Ia, Ib, and III and mixtures thereof, wherein Group I(a) has the formula and wherein said Group Ib has the formula wherein R is CH 2 —CH 2 ; R 5 is CH 2 (CH 3 )CH or CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 ; R 1 and R 4 are a straight or a branched chain alkyl having from about 3 to 10 C atoms or an aryl group; R 2 and R 3 are H, an alkyl chain having 1 to 5 C atoms or aryl group, and in, n, p, and q are numbers that range from about 0 to about 30, and wherein said Group III has the formula wherein R and m are as previously defined and each R 6 is independently chosen from H, C 1 -C 10 alkyl or an aryl group, said method further comprising contacting said oil sands matrix with water alkyl or an aryl group, said method further comprising contacting said oil sands matrix with water or steam, said treatment being added in an amount of about 1-1,000 ppm based on one million parts of said water or steam, said method further comprising contacting said oil sands matrix with an additional surfactant (II), said additional surfactant being a polyol having the formula wherein the moieties x, y and z are each at least 1 and are such as to provide the compound with a molecular weight of about 500 or higher.