| During the extraction of bitumen from oil sands, a very stable bitumen-in-water emulsion is formed, which results in the loss of a valuable amount of bitumen. The present study focuses on three important factors known to influence the stability of the emulsion: asphaltenes, pH of solution and clay. The stability was investigated through the measurement of the colloidal forces between bitumen droplets using a microcollider apparatus.;The presence of asphaltenes was found to considerably enhance the repulsion between the bitumen droplets whereas using a different electrolyte solution at a higher pH had the opposite effect. No significant effect on the interaction was seen when clay was added to the emulsion. Colloidal force models were applied to the experimental data in an attempt to characterise the surface of the bitumen droplets and the types of interaction forces. The results show that deasphalted bitumen is smoother than untreated bitumen. |
