Electrical Extraction of Oil From Tar Sand

A new technique for the separation of bitumen from tar sand is described. In this technique an electrical current is passed through a quantity of tar sand which is positioned in a vessel beneath a column of water. The passage of current causes the tar sand and the lower portion of the water column to become violently agitated and to eject particles of bitumen and sand. The bitumen particles rise to the surface of the water where they combine to form a froth. The sand particles rise only a short distance and then fall back towards the bottom of the vessel. Figures for energy balance and for the composition of the extracted bitumen and the tailings are given for laboratory scale experiments. The technique is compared to the commercially used hot-water separation process.