Oil Sands Investigations postlab evidence

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Oil Sands Investigations? post-lab evidence

• Alberta Ingenuity (COSI)
• Centre for Oil Sands Innovation
• University of Alberta

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Research Program Projects Variables Affecting
Bitumen Extraction

• Research Projects
• temperature
• quantity of air
• pH
• Ca2(aq) concentration
• quality of oil sands

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Testing Hypotheses (H) ? replicating scientific
research

• The extraction of bitumen from oil sand
• H1 increases with temperature
• H2 increases with air
• H3 increases with pH
• H4 decreases with addition of Ca2(aq)
• H5 decreases with concentration of bitumen

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Design Materials from Procedure

• Design Manipulate one variable control all
  other variables (e.g., temp., pH, and air)
• Materials e.g., glass vials, oil sands, water,
  air, NaOH(aq), and CaCl2(aq)
• Procedure Prepare vial with oil sands, water and
  air. Adjust temperature or pH. Observe and
  measure the effect.
• (Students write Design and Materials from the
  Procedure provided.)

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Some Procedures
heating samples on a hot plate
preparing to shake hot vial for 1 min
(horizontally and then vertically)
keeping temperature for 5 min
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Manipulating Temperature (5 min)

• Place one vial in water at about 20 ºC.
• Place second vial in water at about 50 ºC.
• Place third vial in water at about 80 ºC.
• Shake horizontally for 45 s and vertically for 15
  s, then let settle.

measuring results
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1. Manipulating Temperature the evidence
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2. Manipulating Air (by length)

• Heat each of the vials at 80 ºC for 5 min.
• Shake each of the vials for 1 min45 s
  horizontally and 15 s vertically (or some other
  constant ratio).
• Record evidence.

no air
air starts
air starts
air volume manipulated
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2. Affect of Airthe evidence
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3. Affect of pH (What is the right value?)

• Heat each of the vials marked pH 7, 9 and 11 at
  80 ºC for 5 min.
• Shake each of the vials for 1 min45 s
  horizontally and 15 s vertically (or some other
  constant ratio).

rich oil sands 80oC air
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3. Affect of pHthe evidence
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4. Affect of Ca2(aq) Concentration

• Calcium ions build up in the tailings pond water
  and adversely affect the process.
• Hypothesis Increasing the Ca2, decreases the
  extraction of bitumen from oil sands.

• Heat each of the vials at 80 ºC for 5 min.
• Shake each of the vials for 1 min45 s
  horizontally and 15 s vertically (or some other
  constant ratio).
• Observe the vials.

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4. Affect of Ca2(aq) the evidence
pH of 9 at 80ºC with air
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5. Affect of Quality of Oil Sands

• Heat each of the vials at 80 ºC for 5 min.
• Shake each of the vials for 1 min45 s
  horizontally and 15 s vertically (or some other
  constant ratio).
• Record evidence.

Some dried oil sandsacts like lean oil sands.
L7 lean pH 7 R9 rich pH 9
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5. Affect of Quality of Oil Sands the evidence
pH 7 and pH 9
Lean 7 Lean 9 Rich 7 Rich 9
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6. Bonus Lab Affect of Solvents

• Do not heat these vials. Three contain flammable
  liquidspropan-2-ol, butan-2-ol, and naphtha.
• Record the evidence shake the vials and record
  any further evidence.

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6. Affect of Solventthe evidence
immediate evidence
delayed evidence
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Research Program/Team

• This series of investigations is aimed at
• testing hypotheses by manipulating one variable
  at a time
• improving the extraction of bitumen from oil
  sandsespecially to reduce energy, water usage
  and environmental impact.
• illustrating a research team approach that is
  common within scientific research programs.

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Acknowledgements

• Alberta Ingenuity (Sandra Robertson)
• Andree Koenig (demo)
• Cam McGregor
• Pam Seager
• Dr. Zhenghe Xu
• Dr. Steve Kuznicki
• Dr. Murray Gray
• COSI staff Centre for Oil Sands Innnovation
• Dr. Bob Ritter (CMASTE)