Novel extraction of tar sands by sonication with the aid of in-situ surfactants

A novel extraction of bitumen from tar sands has recently been developed using sodium silicate with the aid of sonication at low temperature and ambient atmosphere. During the processing in situ surfactants are formed and, via membrane-mimetic-chemistry fashion, an upgraded bitumen that is virtually free of asphaltene and preasphaltene is obtained. Recovery of bitumen in three runs reveals the pattern that in situ surfactants are active in spent solutions and the process can be accelerated by the introduction of free radicals. Kinetic studies revealed that generations of these natural in situ surfactants follow an autocatalytic mechanism. The reaction rate (sonication time requirement) can be reduced from hours to minutes by the addition of a free-radical initiator (e.g., H{sub 2}O{sub 2}). Explanations of the reaction mechanisms by curve fitting were attempted.