COMPUTATIONAL MODELING INSIGHTS INTO THE COMPETING CHEMICAL AND SOLVATION INTERACTIONS THAT CONTROL THE PROCESS OF NON-AQUESOUS EXTRACTION OF BITUMEN FROM OIL SANDS

摘要

Extensive research is needed to decrease the cost and environmental impact of hydrocarbon recovery from oil sands, an abundant and very important source of unconventional petroleum. Non-aqueous extraction (NAE) of bitumen from oil sands, a promising new process, could help not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also eliminate the aqueous tailings produced in the currently employed water-based extraction process. A major challenge to the development of an industrial scale NAE process is to improve solvent recovery from tailings in order to cut the emission of volatile organic compounds upon tailings disposal.