Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development

Cenovus Energy Inc.

Total E&p Golfe Ltd

Sarbajit Banerjee

Subodh Gupta

Lei Fang

Mohammed Al-Hashimi

Chenxu Wang

Anita

Wasif Zaheer

Sai Che

Disclosed herein are methods of preparing bitumen for transport, apparatus for preparing bitumen for transport, methods of transporting bitumen, and transportation-ready forms of bitumen. Instead of relying on exogenous components to induce bitumen solidification, the methods and apparatus of the present disclosure reorganize bituminous materials derived from the same origin into core-shell bitumen microcapsules, such that relatively low solubility components (e.g. asphaltenes) encapsulate relatively high solubility components (e.g. maltenes). Importantly, the bitumen microcapsules of the present disclosure are sufficiently mechanically resilient to meet one or more thresholds for midstream transportation, and they are readily fluidized for downstream processing with conventional technologies. Taken together, these aspects may ameliorate one or more challenges in achieving commercially viable bitumen solidification technologies.

Mechanically resilient bitumen microcapsules for midstream transport

Methods for preparation of a carbon membrane include providing a solution comprising a diacetyl biphenyl monomer and an alkylsulfonic acid. The solution is treated under such conditions that an aldol condensation reaction occurs so as to produce a porous polymer network. The porous polymer network is treated under such conditions that a Scholl reaction occurs.

Synthesis of porous graphitic carbon membranes

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College Station, TX, United States of America

Sarbajit Banerjee