Characterization of solvent-insoluble organic matter associated with mineral matter from oil sands

摘要

Considerable quantities of insoluble organic matter (IOM) are known to be associated with certain solid fractions found in oil sands. This organic matter is believed to be partly responsible for the intractability of the sludge generated by the hot water process used for the extraction of bitumen from Alberta oil sands. In previous investigations we had attempted to enrich the insoluble organic matter by dissolving the minerals in concentrated HCl/HF mixtures. As a result of this severe acid treatment the inorganic material is decomposed, but the organic constituents are also likely to undergo significant changes. In the present work we have used a milder HCl/HF treatment for mineral dissolution. The results from the current investigation are compared with the results of the previous study to assess the chemical alterations of the organic matter resulting from the two treatments. The fractions obtained from the mild acid treatment were analyzed using solid state 13C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Latter results have been discussed in terms of a van Krevelen diagram which is derived by plotting the atomic H/C ratios against O/C. The NMR data were used to calculate the aromaticities of the various organic fractions. Based on the elemental compositions and the NMR data, it is suggested that the IOM associated with the sludge solids is derived from terrestrial sources.