The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 12, 1977
Filed:
Sep. 18, 1975
John B Fairbanks, Jr, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Gary C Brimhall, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Other;
Abstract
Process, structure, and aqueous bath for recovering oil from tar sand, known also simply as oil sand. The process includes the steps of passing the tar sand through, or subjecting the same to a diluent, to reduce the internal fluid friction or viscosity of the oil layers surrounding each sand particle, and then bringing together the 'sand', i.e. the sand particle plus its thinned oil layer, and an aqueous bath having a slightly raised specific gravity and also a wetting agent. The purpose for the wetting agent is to allow the sand particles to fall to the bottom of the processing tank as sludge. The raised specific gravity of the water, which is still substantially less than that of sea water, by the Archimedes' principle, causes the released globules or droplets of oil to be accelerated rapidly to the surface of the water, thereby escaping recapture or admixture with the descending sand particles. The now dilute oil is recovered, separated, and the diluent is reused in the tank. In-situ recovery by the above process and bath is likewise practicable.