Abstract: An improvement in the treatment of sludge recovered from a pond containing tailings from a water extraction process of tar sands characterized in that the froth produced from a treatment of the sludge is diluted with water which is at an ambient temperature, and the diluted froth is agitated and aerated vigorously for a short time to obtain an upper froth layer which contains most of the bitumen and substantially reduced amounts of mineral and water. The upper froth layer is obtained by, e.g., skimming it from the froth produced by the agitation and aeration.

Abstract: A tailings pond sludge layer of high density and strength is obtained by treating the sludge with an additive selected from a specific family of hydrolized starch additives which impart improved permeability and shear strength characteristics to the sludge. Thereafter, the sludge is mixed with sand which adds self-weight whereby further dewatering of the sludge sand mixture is accomplished. Unlike untreated sludges or sludges treated with other known additives or flocculants, sludge treated with the aforementioned hydrolyzed starch additives is able to support the sand.

Abstract: In order to compress the sludge layer of an industrial process tailings pond, in a naturally occurring fines-containing body of water, beyond the density which it will naturally reach after treatment by the addition of a specific hydrolyzed starch additive, sand is distibuted over the sludge layer as a water permeable surcharge which, by weight, further compacts the sludge to obtain additional dewatering. The hydrolyzed starch additive is selected from a specific family and provides improved shear strength and permeability characteristics to the sludge layer such that it can support the sand surcharge.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the recovery of bitumen from a sludge. The sludge is diluted with water and subjected to high-shear agitation and aeration and the sludge settled to obtain an upper bitumen-containing froth layer and a lower sludge layer of reduced bitumen content. The recovery of bitumen is increased over that obtained with aeration and mixing with mild agitation or with aeration alone or with agitation alone.

Abstract: Improved apparatus is disclosed for supporting the cutting teeth on the periphery of a rotating cylindrical drum ice cutter affixed to a floating arctic structure. The cutting teeth are individually removably affixed to brackets which extend spirally (either continuously or in segments) around the drum periphery and are supported in spaced relationship radially outwardly therefrom by very sturdy struts. Several benefits are obtained with this configuration: (1) hydrodynamic drag is minimized; (2) the teeth-support structure can be made more rugged than individual ones for each tooth; (3) the teeth can be configured for a minimum of replaceable material at the cutting tips; (4) more free volume is available around the drum periphery for disposal flow of disaggregated material and (5) tooth spacing can be readily adjusted for optimum performance according to requirements.

Abstract: Removable bucket wheel teeth are provided with a rectangular-in-cross section shank portion and forwardly sloped shoulder areas for insertion into a complementarily-configured socket in a bucket lip. The resulting assembly is much more rigid and wears better than prior art tooth and lip configurations and tends to fracture preferentially when overstressed.

Abstract: A method for remote analysis of a mixture of materials where one of the components has thermal characteristics different from the other components. In a preferred embodiment, tar sands on a moving belt or dropping into a hopper are irradiated with infrared radiation and the radiant thermal flux of the heated tar sands is remotely detected and measured to determine bitumen content.

Abstract: Sand containing bitumen and like materials containing organic matter is analyzed quantitatively for its hydrocarbon content by use of a remote infrared sensor. In a preferred embodiment the bitumen is on a conveyor to further processing and if found unacceptable for processing by the method of the invention, the sand is automatically diverted. The invention also embodies the apparatus used for the analysis.

Abstract: Hydrolyzed wheat, corn, and potato starches are effective flocculants in destabilizing dilute as well as thick sludge suspensions. These starches are equal to, or better than, the synthetic polyacrylamide flocculants in destabilizing sludge suspensions, particularly when used in the treatment of bituminous tar sands tailings.The hydrolyzed wheat starch is especially effective when first contacted with metal salts such as salts containing calcium, aluminum and phosphate ions, and most particularly when first treated with a combination of such salt, formed in situ, and a lower aliphatic alcohol.Among the potato starch flocculants which were found to be generally better than the corn starch flocculants, those containing AlPO.sub.4 were the best. Potato starch flocculants are equally effective on oil-removed and no-oil-removed sludge suspensions.

Abstract: In order to improve the efficiency and reliability of the cutter units employed in large scale ice disaggregation systems, a cutter configuration is employed characterized by an outwardly extending arm which sweeps rearwardly from the direction of travel to provide clearance for ice chunks and then sharpwardly forwardly to terminate in an ice-engaging portion. The ice-engaging portion includes a relatively long and narrow central "pick" portion for breaking very cold ice, chisel-like cutting edges directed to each side of the base of the "pick" portion to fracture cold ice as well as warm ice, and an inverted skate portion which cleaves the ice and promotes passage of the ice chunks around the tooth structure to facilitate clearing.

Abstract: Hydrolyzed wheat, corn, and potato starches are effective flocculants in destabilizing dilute as well as thick sludge suspensions. These starches are equal to, or better than, the synthetic polyacrylamide flocculants in destabilizing sludge suspensions, particularly when used in the treatment of bituminous tar sands tailings.The hydrolyzed wheat starch is especially effective when first contacted with metal salts such as salts containing calcium, aluminum and phosphate ions and most particularly when first treated with a combination of such salts formed in situ, and a lower aliphatic alcohol.Among the potato starch flocculants which were found to be generally better than the corn starch flocculants, those containing AlPO.sub.4 were the best. Potato starch flocculants are equally effective on oil-removed and no-oil-removed sludge suspensions.