The influence of mineral components on the generation of natural surfactants from Athabasca oil sands in the alkaline hot water process

Abstract Reaction of Athabasca oil sands with sodium hydroxide is known to produce natural surfactants which are believed to facilitate the flotation recovery of bitumen when oil sand is treated by the hot water process. An analysis of the process indicates that only a small fraction of the sodium hydroxide needed actually participates in reactions that produce natural surfactants. A method was developed for the analysis of ionic species in produced water from the hot water process and this method was used to study the products of the reaction and to examine the effect of added polyvalent metal compounds. It is proposed that the bulk of sodium hydroxide reacts with polyvalent metal carbonates, clays and sulfates contained in the oil sand. The results of the present work support this proposal.