Hydrocarbon extraction by oleophilic beads from aqueous mixtures

Abstract

A system for the recovery of hydrocarbonaceous material, said hydrocarbonaceous material being in an aggregate mixture in a water slurry, said system comprising: (a) a means for centrifuging to remove liquid material from the slurry so as to obtain a water phase, a hydrocarbon phase and an aggregate solid phase; (b) a mixing vessel and means for delivery to said mixing vessel a measured quantity of said aggregate solids, water and a measure quantity of buoyant beads having a bare oleophilic surface (c) agitation means for agitating said aqueous mixture in said mixing vessel so as to obtain product buoyant beads having hydrocarbonaceous material associated therewith; and (c) recovery means for recovering product buoyant beads.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for the recovery of hydrocarbonaceous material, said hydrocarbonaceous material being in an aggregate mixture in a water slurry, said method comprising the steps of: (a) centrifuging said aggregate mixture in the water slurry to remove liquid material from the slurry, so as to obtain a water phase, a hydrocarbon phase and an aggregate solid phase; (b) agitating said aqueous mixture comprising water, said hydrocarbonaceous material and buoyant beads having a bare oleophilic surface so as to obtain product buoyant beads having hydrocarbonaceous material associated therewith; and (c) recovering product buoyant beads. 
     
     
         2 . A method as defined in  claim 1  wherein step (c) comprises a bead flotation step for the recovery of said product buoyant beads. 
     
     
         3 . A method as defined in  claim 1  further comprising (d) washing said product buoyant beads to remove entrained water and/or solids; and (e) further washing said product buoyant beads from step (c) with a hydrocarbon solvent so as to recover hydrocarbonaceous material therefrom so as to obtain solvent washed beads. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising (e) treating said solvent washed beads by centrifugation to obtain recovered buoyant beads having a bare oleophilic surface; and (f) recycling said recovered buoyant beads. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said beads have a specific gravity in the range of from 0.080 to 0.35. 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said beads have an average width in the range of from 5 to 20 millimeters. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said beads have a specific gravity in the range of from 0.080 to 0.35 and wherein said beads have an average width in the range of from 5 to 20 millimeters. 
     
     
         8 . A system for the recovery of hydrocarbonaceous material, said hydrocarbonaceous material being in an aggregate mixture in a water slurry, said system comprising: (a) a means for centrifuging to remove liquid material from the slurry so as to obtain a water phase, a hydrocarbon phase and an aggregate solid phase; (b) a mixing vessel and means for delivery to said mixing vessel a measured quantity of said aggregate solids, water and a measure quantity of buoyant beads having a bare oleophilic surface (c) agitation means for agitating said aqueous mixture in said mixing vessel so as to obtain product buoyant beads having hydrocarbonaceous material associated therewith; and (c) recovery means for recovering product buoyant beads. 
     
     
         9 . A system as defined in  claim 8  said recovery means comprises means for the recovery of said product buoyant beads by bead flotation. 
     
     
         10 . A system as defined in  claim 8  further comprising means for delivering said recovered product buoyant beads to a water wash means to remove any entrained water and/or solids. 
     
     
         11 . A system as defined in  claim 10 , further comprising air drying means downstream from said water wash means. 
     
     
         12 . A system as defined in  claim 11  further comprising bead solvent wash means downstream from said drying means for contacting said recovered product buoyant beads with a hydrocarbon solvent so as to recover therefrom a hydrocarbonaceous material and hydrocarbon solvent so as to obtain solvent washed beads. 
     
     
         13 . A system as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising means for treating said solvent washed beads by centrifugation to obtain recovered buoyant beads having a bare oleophilic surface. 
     
     
         14 . A system as defined in  claim 13 , further comprising means for recycling said recovered buoyant beads to said mixing vessel. 
     
     
         15 . A system as defined in  claim 8 , further comprising a filter for filtering waste water from said centrifuge and recycling said filtered water back to said mixer.