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Why is a solvent used in the final separation of bitumen from sand and water?
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heavy oil and tar sand
Major oil fields of the Arabian-Iranian basin region.
In the recovery of bitumen from tar sand, the material is initially processed by mixing crushed ore with steam and hot water to concentrate the bitumen through flotation. A solvent is subsequently used in the final stage of this process to effectively separate the bitumen from the remaining sand and water.1
This step is necessary because bitumen is a dense, highly viscous petroleum-based hydrocarbon that does not flow at ambient temperatures. By treating the concentrated bitumen with a solvent, the process ensures the removal of residual impurities, resulting in a cleaned crude bitumen that can then be upgraded into synthetic crude oil and other commercial products.21