Abstract: A mixer circuit, in the form of a vertically oriented stack of components, functions to slurry oil sand with water in preparation for pumping through a pipeline. The oil sand is initially dropped from the end of a conveyor. It is contacted in mid-air with a stream of water to distribute the water through the oil sand and to wet the latter. The mixture drops into a downwardly slanted trough. The water and oil sand mix as they move turbulently through the open-ended trough. The slurry is deflected as it leaves the trough and is spread in the form of a thin sheet on an apron. It is then fed over screens to reject oversize lumps. The screened slurry drops into a pump box. The rejected lumps are comminuted in an impactor positioned at the end of the screens. The comminuted oil sand is screened to remove remaining oversize lumps and the screened comminuted oil sands are delivered into the pump box. The structure is compact and the oversize reject loss is relatively low.

Abstract: Average grade oil sand is mixed with water to produce a low temperature (20-35.degree. C.), dense (1.4-1.65 g/cc) slurry. The slurry is pumped through a pipeline for sufficient time to condition it. Air is injected into the slurry after the last pump. The slurry density is adjusted to about 1.5 g/cc by adding flood water near the end of the pipeline. The slurry is introduced into a primary separation vessel slurry as it is introduced into the (PSV), excess air is vented from the PSV and a hot water underwash is used to heat the froth produced. Slurry loading to the PSV is greater than about 4.78 tonnes of oil sand/hour/square meter to reduce velocity gradient in the fluid in the vessel. Bitumen froth is recovered. When fed low grade oil sand, the process is modified by adding flotation aid chemicals to the slurry in the pipeline and subjecting the PSV tailings and middlings to secondary recovery with agitation and aeration in a secondary separation vessel.

Abstract: A paraffinic solvent is mixed with bitumen froth containing water and solids. Sufficient solvent is added to induce inversion when the mixture is subjected to gravity or centrifugal forces. The emulsion reports to the water phase and a dry bitumen product is obtained.

Abstract: A mixer circuit, in the form of a vertically oriented stack of components, functions to slurry oil sand with water in preparation for pumping through a pipeline. The oil sand is initially dropped from the end of a conveyor. It is contacted in mid-air with a stream of water to distribute the water through the oil sand and to wet the latter. The mixture drops into a downwardly slanted trough. The water and oil sand mix as they move turbulently through the open-ended trough. The slurry is deflected as it leaves the trough and is spread in the form of a thin sheet on an apron. It is then fed over screens to reject oversize lumps. The screened slurry drops into a pump box. The screened slurry drops into a box. The rejected lumps are comminuted in an impactor positioned at the end of the screens. The comminuted oil sand is screened to remove remaining oversize lumps and the screened comminuted oil sands are delivered into the pump box. The structure is compact and the oversize reject loss is relatively low.

Abstract: A batter board is interposed between an upper conveyor belt, that is discharging granular material, and a lower conveyor belt that is receiving it. The batter board is adapted to deflect the downwardly arching stream of material, to laterally adjust the location on the lower belt where the material is deposited. The extent of deflection practised is controlled in response to measurements which monitor the downstream belt side travel of the lower belt. The position of the batter board is adjusted with hydraulic actuators protected with a shock absorbing system.

Abstract: A dispersant, such as sodium silicate, is added to the process water of the hot water extraction process which recovers bitumen from oil sands. The dispersant disperses the ultrafine (less than 300 nm) particles, to reduce the formation of flocs and sludge in the tailings pond. The volume of the pond is such that the retention time of process water is sufficiently short (less than 6 weeks when using sodium silicate) to avoid reforming flocs from the dispersed ultrafines. The ultrafines content in the process water builds up as the water is repeatedly recycled from the pond to the extraction process. The ultrafines content stabilizes at a steady state concentration as some ultrafines are continuously removed from the process water when the tailings are delivered onto the "beach" of the pond and become trapped in the sand.

Abstract: Middlings from the primary separation vessel ("PSV") are recycled through a line to the PSV. The middlings are aerated with fine air bubbles using in line eductor/aerator assemblies. The aerated middlings are mixed as they are pumped through a line back to the PSV. Bitumen recovery from the PSV is increased as a result.

Abstract: Aerated bitumen froth containing bitumen, water, air and solids is the product of the hot water extraction process for recovering bitumen from oil sand. Measurements related to the water content of the froth can be obtained by measuring its resonant frequency in a calibrated output, open-ended microwave cavity. By also measuring the bulk density of the froth and assuming a constant relationship for the solids content, one can compute from the assembled data the output quality of the froth. The measurements can be taken repetitively at the vessel as the froth is produced and used to almost instantly provide froth quality information.

Abstract: The washer comprises an open-topped vessel having a tube mounted vertically and centrally therein. Post-primary bitumen froth is fed to the upper end of the tube. Pairs of down throw and up throw propellers mounted to rotate in the tube act to shear the froth as it passes down through the tube. At its lower end, the tube is closed off by a transverse wall. Slots are formed in the tube side wall to provide an exit. The sheared mixture thus changes direction as it leaves the tube. In the vessel chamber, solids and water sink downwardly and are removed as tailings through a bottom outlet. The sheared aerated bitumen rises and forms a new forth that is recovered in a launder. Middlings are withdrawn from the chamber and recycled to join the feed. The product froth is reduced in water and solids relative to the feed froth.

Abstract: A process for preparing a paving asphalt cement comprising two steps. In the first step, a high quality paving asphalt precursor, a low quality paving asphalt precursor, a non-paving asphalt precursor or a mixture thereof are catalytically oxidized to form a paving asphalt cement. In the second step, the catalytically oxidized paving asphalt cement is mixed with one or more of a high quality paving asphalt precursor, a low quality paving asphalt precursor, a non-paving asphalt precursor or a mixture thereof.

Abstract: As-mined, naturally water-wet oil sand is mixed at the mine site with hot water and NaOH to produce a slurry containing entrained air. The slurry is pumped through a pipeline and is fed directly to a conventional gravity separation vessel. The pipeline is of sufficient length so that, in the course of being pumped therethrough, sufficient coalescence and aeration of bitumen occurs so that, when subsequently retained in the gravity separation vessel under quiescent conditions, a viable amount of the bitumen floats, forms froth, and is recovered.

Abstract: Lubricant compositions are disclosed in which a synergistic combination of low-volatility tri-substituted phosphite and selected substituted isocyanurate phenolic stabilizers provide surprisingly effective antioxidant qualities to lubricating oils selected from hydrotreated oils, poly-.alpha.-olefin oils, paraffinic white oils and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: An aperature is formed in the bottom wall of the launder. A downwardly extending container communicates with the aperture. A weir is positioned immediately downstream of the aperture. The container and weir combine to form a separator. In the launder, free water and solids contaminants settle and form a bottom layer of dirty water. The layer is diverted into the container through the aperture and the weir temporarily retains a small head of it. Temporary retention in the separator therefore generates a vertical fluid column comprising an upper layer of relatively clean froth and a lower layer of dirty water, said layers having an ascertainable interface. The elevation of the interface is monitored and contaminated fluid is withdrawn from the container as underflow at a rate controlled to keep the interface elevation substantially constant. The froth overflowing the weir is reduced in water and solids relative to the original froth issuing from the flotation vessel.

Abstract: The mixer circuit comprises a vertically oriented, open-topped mixer vessel having a cylindrical side wall terminating with a shallow conical bottom. The bottom wall forms a central bottom outlet. Recycled slurry and fresh water streams are fed tangentially to the inner surface of the vessel, thereby forming a vortex. The oil sand enters as a continuous, free-flowing stream moving along a downward trajectory; the stream impinges the vortex, wherein it is dispersed and mixed to create slurry. The slurry exits through the bottom outlet, is screened to remove oversize material, and enters a holding vessel. Part of the slurry in the holding vessel is recycled to the mixer vessel through a pipe loop incorporating a pump. The slurry is energized by the pump and functions to maintain and partly create the rapidly moving vortex that carries out the mixing and lump-disintegration actions. The balance of the slurry in the holding vessel is pumped out as product.

Abstract: The present invention is based on the following:(1) that when tar sand is conditioned and diluted in the hot water extraction process, there are two classes of anionic surfactants (originating from carboxylate and sulfonate groups) present in the process water;(2) that each of these surfactants has the potential to dominantly influence the maximizing of primary froth production by the process;(3) that it is possible for a particular extraction circuit to determine the critical free surfactant concentration in the process water at which primary froth extraction is maximized for each of the two classes of surfactant;(4) and that it is possible to determine which of the two classes of surfactant will first (that is, at lowest NaOH addition) dominate the process when a particular tar sand feed is being processed.The present invention therefore involves:determining the critical free surfactant concentrations ("C.sub.cs.sup.O " and "C.sub.ss.sup.

Abstract: A process for the conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon oil in the presence of hydrogen and iron-petroleum coke catalyst is described in which the iron-petroleum coke catalyst is prepared by grinding petroleum coke particles and particles of an iron compound in oil to form an additive slurry or paste and mixing the petroleum coke-iron oil slurry or paste with the heavy hydrocarbon oil to form a feedstock to hydroconverter.

Abstract: A process for the conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon oil in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst or additive is described. It is shown that conversion can be increased by injecting an anti-foaming agent or a solution of anti-foaming agent in light oil into the reactor. Significantly better results are obtained when the anti-foam or the solution of anti-foam is injected directly into the top section of the reactor.

Abstract: A hydroconversion process is described in which a feed slurry comprising a heavy hydrocarbon oil and an iron compound additive is contacted with a hydrogen-containing gas in a hydroconversion zone at hydroconversion conditions to convert at least a portion of said oil to lower boiling products. The process is characterized by the use of an iron compound having particle sizes of less than 45 .mu.m, preferably with at least 50 wt % of particles of less than 5 .mu.m.

Abstract: A process for the conversion of a heavy hydrocarbon oil in the presence of hydrogen and iron-coal catalyst is described in which the iron-coal catalyst is prepared by grinding coal particles and particles of an iron compound in oil to form an additive slurry or paste and mixing the coal-iron oil slurry or paste with the heavy hydrocarbon oil to form a feedstock to a hydroconverter.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus for measuring a physical property of a substance using radiation has a source of radiation for irradiating the substance, a radiation detector which is disposed on the opposite side of the substance from the radiation source, a mask for allowing radiaton to enter the radiation detector only along n prescribed pathways, and a signal processing and calculating device for calculating the physical property of the substance based on the radiation which is incident upon the radiation detector. The mask has n different mask patterns each comprising a plurality of pattern elements which allow the passage of radiation and which can be positioned between the substance and the radiation detector in alignment with the radiation pathways.