Patent ID: 7785462

Claim:
A method for separating bitumen from oil sands, comprising: contacting a separating composition comprising: 1) from about 0.1% to about 4.0% by weight of an aromatic phosphate ester having the formula: wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 5 linear or branched alkyl group and n=1 to 8; 2) up to about 4.5% by weight of sodium acid pyrophosphate; 3) up to about 4.5% by weight of tetrapotassium pyrophosphate; 4) from about 2% to about 9.5% by weight of a base selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, cesium hydroxide, strontium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, rubidium hydroxide, sodium hydride, lithium diisopropylamide, sodium amide, and mixtures thereof; and 5) from about 1.7% to about 8.6% by weight of an acid selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydronic acid, hydrobromic acid, perchloric acid, fluoromatic acid, magic acid, carborane super acid, triflic acid, ethanoic acid, acetylsalicylic acid, and mixtures thereof with oil sands comprising bitumen and sand; heating the separating composition and the oil sands; agitating the separating composition and the oil sands; and recovering the bitumen and sand as separate products.