| Bitumen Froth Cleaning and Upgrading using Hydrothermal Treatment Plus Hot FiltrationPublication paper for impacts of hydrothermal treatment plus hot filtration on bitumen froth cleaning using a semi-large autoclave.
This paper discusses the positive influence of hydrothermal treatment and hot filtration to clean up bitumen froth without using any chemical solvents (e.g. n-heptane). Furthermore, this process performs partial upgrading on the bitumen as well. University of Alberta | Publication | 2020-04-13 | Shahrad Booran, Qiang Chen, "Igor Stricek", Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q. |
| Probing the Surface Forces between Air Bubbles and Bitumen via Direct Force Measurements: Effects of Aqueous Chemistry University of Alberta | Publication | 2024-02-01 | "Diling Yang", "Chenyu Qiao", Xiaohui Mao, "Jingyi Wang", Lei Xie, "Jingsi Chen", "Qiongyao Peng", Tao Wang, Liu, Q., Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Surface-modified magnetite nanoparticles for fine solids removal from non-aqueous extracted bitumen University of Alberta | Publication | 2020-08-01 | Xuyang Liu, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q. |
| The effect of clay type and solid wettability on bitumen extraction from Canadian oil sands | Publication | 2023-04-01 | "An Li", "Rui Li", "Ci Yan", Han Wang, "Qingxia Liu", "Jacob Masliyah", Hongbo Zeng, "Zhenghe Xu" |
| Engineering Research AwardExcellence in research in the Faculty of Engineering
| Award | 2018-05-10 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Engineering Undergraduate Teaching AwardExcellence in undergraduate teaching
| Award | 2018-05-10 | Hongbo Zeng |
| EWR Steacie Memorial FellowshipNSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship | Award | 2019-05-01 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Faculty of Engineering Career Research Award | Award | 2023-11-23 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada | Award | 2023-09-06 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Great Supervisor Award | Award | 2019-02-14 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Hatch Innovation Awardhttps://www.cheminst.ca/awards/csche/innovation/
| Award | 2018-10-23 | Hongbo Zeng |
| International Award for Outstanding Young Chemical EngineerInternational Award for Outstanding Young Chemical Engineer | Award | 2019-08-05 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Killam Annual Professorship | Award | 2021-07-01 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Senior University of Alberta Engineering Research Chair | Award | 2023-07-01 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Asphaltene adsorption on sodium-citrate-modified magnetite nanoparticlesA presentation related to this project was given at the 69th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference. The topic of the presentation was 'Asphaltene adsorption on sodium-citrate-modified magnetite nanoparticles'.
During the presentation and the conference, the modification of magnetite nanoparticles and adsorption behavior of asphaltene or organic matters on nanoparticles were discussed. The application of modified magnetite nanoparticles in NAE bitumen fine solids removal was also discussed.
University of Alberta | Activity | 2019-10-22 | Xuyang Liu, Kaipeng Wang, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q. |
| Bitumen Froth Cleaning Using Hydrothermal Treatment Plus Hot FiltrationPresenting the latest results of hydrothermal treatment + hot filtration process for bitumen froth cleaning using a semi-large scale autoclave.
The results showed that this process can effectively reduce the water and sand contents without using any chemical solvents plus performing a semi-updating on the bitumen. The project successfully reduced the water content from 19 wt% to 0.03 wt%, similarly the fine sand from 6 wt% to 0.5 wt% by hot filtration at 200 of using a 0.5 lm pore size stainless steel filter medium.
The future plan is to reduce the fine solids contents in the final bitumen product down to 0.05 wt% by using double/triple reused filtration. During each filtration, the filter cake will increase and it can remove more fine solids. University of Alberta | Activity | 2020-01-30 | Qiang Chen, Shahrad Booran, Xiaoli Tan, "Igor Stricek", Liu, Q. |
| Bitumen Froth Cleaning Using Hydrothermal Treatment Plus Hot FiltrationBitumen froth produced in mineral extraction contains about 60% bitumen, 30% water and 10% fine solids. This product requires further cleaning before the bitumen can be upgraded to crude oil or sold to market. Two technologies are currently used for cleaning bitumen froth, depending on the solvent used to dilute the bitumen froth and lower its viscosity. Both the froth cleaning processes require distillation to remove the large volumes of solvent from the bitumen product, and solvent recovery units to recover the residual solvents from the fine solids and water. Inefficiencies in solvent recovery are a major contribution to solvent losses into the tailings ponds.
Hence, any technology which can alter the surface properties of the fine solids may be a potential choice for froth cleaning. Hydrothermal treatment is direct thermal processing of bitumen froth at elevated temperature (up to 450 C) rather than the current approach of froth treatment followed by upgrading. Filtration at high temperature offers many advantages, such as increased overall efficiency, improved product quality, recovery of thermal energy, and integration of filtration into the overall process.
Thus, we purposed, a combination of hydrothermal treatment, venting and filtration to clean the bitumen froth. The results show that hydrothermal treatment followed by venting and filtration is an effective way to remove water and fine solids from bitumen froth: the water content was reduced from 19 wt% to 0.05 wt%, and the fine solids content was reduced from 6 wt% to 0.5 wt% by hot filtration at 200 C using a 0.5 lm pore size stainless steel filter medium.
The future plan is to reduce the fine solids contents in the final bitumen product down to 0.05 wt% by using double/triple reused filtration. During each filtration, the filter cake will increase and it can remove more fine solids. University of Alberta | Activity | 2020-02-06 | Qiang Chen, Shahrad Booran, Xiaoli Tan, "Igor Stricek", Liu, Q. |
| Destabilization of Bitumen-coated Fine Solids in Organic Media Induced by Water-assisted Biomolecule Flocculants Extracted from Guar BeansDestabilization of Bitumen-coated Fine Solids in Organic Media Induced by Water-assisted Biomolecule Flocculants Extracted from Guar Beans University of Alberta | Activity | 2019-05-01 | Camila Santander, Liu, J., Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Effects of low-temperature hydrothermal treatment on the properties and removal of fine solids from nonaqueous extraction (NAE) bitumen University of Alberta | Activity | 2019-08-27 | Menatalla Ahmed, Qiang Chen, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q. |
| Fine solids removal from NAE bitumen by surface functionalized magnetic particlesA poster was presented in the 2nd Annual FES Open House. The basic idea of using magnetic nanomaterials for fine solids removal from NAE bitumen product was presented. University of Alberta | Activity | 2018-10-03 | Liu, Q., Xiaoli Tan, Xuyang Liu |
| Hydrophobic Interactions in Water and Hydrophilic Interaction in Oil of Polymers, Emulsions and BubblesHydrophobic Interactions in Water and Hydrophilic Interaction in Oil of Polymers, Emulsions and Bubbles | Activity | 2019-05-09 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Hydrophobic Interactions in Water and “Hydrophilic” Interaction in Oil of Polymers, Minerals, Emulsions and Bubbles | Activity | 2021-08-01 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Interactions and Surface WettabilityHydrophobic/Hydrophilic Interactions and Surface Wettability | Activity | 2019-10-25 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Hydrothermal treatment of bitumen froth diluted with kerosenePoster presentation to the FES Digital Research Showcase. | Activity | 2020-11-23 | Joao Felipe Pereira Bassane, Arno De Klerk |
| In-Situ Hot Filtration of Bitumen Streams to Produce Dry and Solids-Free Bitumen ProductIn this study, a combination of hydrothermal treatment, venting and filtration was investigated to clean the bitumen froth. Laboratory hydrothermal treatment was conducted at 300–420 C for 0–180 min. The filterability of fine solids was quantitatively characterized by room-temperature filtration or hot filtration at 200 C.
The results show that hydrothermal treatment followed by venting and filtration is an effective way to remove water and fine solids from bitumen froth. The results showed that the water content was reduced from 19 wt% to 0.05 wt%, and the fine solids content was reduced from 6 wt% to 0.5 wt% by hot filtration at 200 C using a 0.5 lm pore size stainless steel filter medium. University of Alberta | Activity | 2019-10-24 | Qiang Chen, Shahrad Booran, Xiaoli Tan, "Igor Stricek", Liu, Q. |
| Innovative Process for Bitumen Froth Cleaning Using Hydrothermal Treatment Plus Hot FiltrationBitumen froth produced in mineral extraction contains about 60% bitumen, 30% water and 10% fine solids. This product requires further cleaning before the bitumen can be upgraded to crude oil or sold to market. Two technologies are currently used for cleaning bitumen froth, depending on the solvent used to dilute the bitumen froth and lower its viscosity. When naphtha distillate is used (naphthenic froth treatment (NFT)), the emulsion is only partly broken and significant amounts of solids and water remain even after using inclined-plate settlers and centrifuges. In this case, the resulting bitumen can still contain 2–5 wt% water and 0.5–1 wt% fine solids and cannot be transported by pipelines unless it is first processed by coking type upgrading plants.
When a poor solvent such as hexane is used (paraffinic froth treatment (PFT)), 4–10% of the bitumen fraction, mostly asphaltene, precipitates, flocculating and removing with it almost all water and fine solids. Both the froth cleaning processes require distillation to remove the large volumes of solvent from the bitumen product, and solvent recovery units to recover the residual solvents from the fine solids and water. Inefficiencies in solvent recovery are a major contribution to solvent losses into the tailings ponds.
Alternative technologies for froth cleaning are desirable if they can reduce the equipment cost, reduce energy consumption, and reduce environmental impact. The bi-wettable fine solids stabilize water-in-oil emulsions, which, in turn, makes solids and water removal from bitumen froth extremely difficult. Hence, any technology which can alter the surface properties of the fine solids may be a potential choice for froth cleaning. Hydrothermal treatment is direct thermal processing of bitumen froth at elevated temperature (up to 450 C) rather than the current approach of froth treatment followed by upgrading. After the hydrothermal treatment, the wide range of the surface properties of the initial fine solids particles with a high disparity of wettability was made uniformly hydrophobic. Filtration is a well-established method for solid-liquid separation. Although bitumen is viscous at room temperature, at the elevated temperatures that follow hydrothermal treatment its lowered viscosity may enable filtration. Filtration at high temperature offers many advantages, such as increased overall efficiency, improved product quality, recovery of thermal energy, and integration of filtration into the overall process.
Thus, we purposed, a combination of hydrothermal treatment, venting and filtration to clean the bitumen froth. Laboratory hydrothermal treatment was conducted at 300–420 C for 0–180 min at semi-large scale autoclave (5.5 Liter). The filterability of fine solids was quantitatively characterized by room-temperature filtration or hot filtration at 200 C. The results show that hydrothermal treatment followed by venting and filtration is an effective way to remove water and fine solids from bitumen froth: the water content was reduced from 19 wt% to 0.05 wt%, and the fine solids content was reduced from 6 wt% to 0.5 wt% by hot filtration at 200 C using a 0.5 lm pore size stainless steel filter medium.
The future plans are to optimize the temperature condition while reduce the fine solid content down to 0.03 wt% by using double/triple reused filtration. University of Alberta | Activity | 2020-01-22 | Qiang Chen, Shahrad Booran, Xiaoli Tan, "Igor Stricek", Liu, Q. |
| Interactions of Emulsion Drops and Gas Bubbles in Complex Fluids: Hydrophobic Interaction in Water and Hydrophilic Interaction in OilInteractions of Emulsion Drops and Gas Bubbles in Complex Fluids: Hydrophobic Interaction in Water and Hydrophilic Interaction in Oil | Activity | 2019-06-17 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Intermolecular and Interfacial Interactions in Engineering Processes: Emulsions in Oil Production as An ExampleIntermolecular and Interfacial Interactions in Engineering Processes: Emulsions in Oil Production as An Example | Activity | 2021-05-11 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Intermolecular and Surface Interactions at Solid/Oil/Water/Gas Interfaces in Oil ProductionIntermolecular and Surface Interactions at Solid/Oil/Water/Gas Interfaces in Oil Production | Activity | 2019-11-18 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Partial Upgrading During Froth Treatment: A Possible Dream?Poster presentation to the FES Research to Real World - Industrial Mixer | Activity | 2020-02-20 | Arno De Klerk, Joao Felipe Pereira Bassane, Natalia Montoya Sanchez |
| Potential for Partial Upgrading by Thermal Treatment of Bitumen FrothOral presentation to the ACS Spring 2021 conference. | Activity | 2021-04-07 | Joao Felipe Pereira Bassane, Arno De Klerk |
| Probing the interactions between Pickering emulsion droplets with pH-responsive nanoparticles University of Alberta | Activity | 2021-06-09 | Xiaohui Mao, Tang, T., Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Probing the Interactions of Emulsions, Bubbles and Fine Solids in Complex Fluids and Confined Space | Activity | 2021-08-16 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Recent Advances in Hydrophobic Interactions and Surface WettabilityRecent Advances in Hydrophobic Interactions and Surface Wettability | Activity | 2020-01-13 | Hongbo Zeng |
| Removal of hydrophobic bitumen-coated fine solids from bitumen using water droplets with amphiphilic chemicals during non-aqueous extraction of oil sands University of Alberta | Activity | 2018-10-03 | Liu, J., Camila Santander, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Removal of hydrophobic bitumen-coated fine solids from NAE bitumen using guar gum University of Alberta | Activity | 2021-06-09 | Camila Santander, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Stability of Colloidal Solids in Non-Aqueous MediaPresentation by Juan Darius (MSc student) at the 2019 CSChE Conference in Halifax | Activity | 2019-10-20 | Juan Darius, Tony Yeung |
| Thermal Treatment of Bitumen Froth at a Temperature of 250 °C and the Role of Clay Minerals in this ProcessBitumen is recovered from mined oil sands using a hot water extraction process, the product of which is called bitumen froth. Bitumen froth is a mixture of about 60 wt% bitumen, 30 wt % water and 10 wt% mineral solids. The bitumen in bitumen froth needs to be separated from the water and solids to convert it into a marketable bitumen product. To achieve this, solvent-based froth treatment processes are employed in the industry, which are operated at temperatures in the range 30-85 °C. An alternate approach, called hydrothermal treatment, which involves direct heating of bitumen froth without solvent addition was investigated in this work. Two studies were conducted, one to empirically evaluate the potential benefit of hydrothermal froth treatment, and one to investigate the role of mineral matter in the conversion process. Results indicated that hydrothermal froth treatment at 250 °C did not lead to the upgrading of the bitumen, and that thermal conversion of bitumen at the study conditions was beneficial only when the bitumen was treated on its own. Viscosity was one of the characteristic properties of bitumen measured in this work, and it was found that the presence of water and/or mineral solids during thermal conversion led to an increase in the viscosity of bitumen. These viscosity changes were accompanied by an increase in the free radical concentration in bitumen. It was hypothesized that the minerals, especially clays, might be responsible for promoting heavier material formation through free radical and/or cationic addition reactions. To test this hypothesis, the conversion of probe molecules α-methylstyrene (AMS) and 1-octene, instead of bitumen froth, at 250 °C was studied in the presence of the clay minerals kaolinite and illite, which are predominantly found in bitumen froth. While pure thermal conversion of AMS and 1-octene in the absence of minerals was noticed to be low, the conversion increased in the presence of the clay minerals. The minerals promoted heavier product formation through dimerization of AMS and alkylation of 1-octene and toluene (used as solvent), which were identified as the major reactions. The clay minerals also promoted formation of cumene from AMS and double bond isomerization of 1-octene, which were the side reactions. Additional reactions conducted in the presence of clay minerals and pyridine were used as surrogates for alkaline bitumen froth and to differentiate between free radical and cationic pathways. It was concluded that minerals could promote heavier material formation even under alkaline conditions, and that the mineral related conversion was primarily cationic in nature (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Cationic Conversion in the Presence of Clay Minerals
| Activity | 2023-02-14 | Annapurna Sri Sowmya Turuga, Arno De Klerk |
| Tunning water ionicity in water-assisted settling of bituminous fine solids. University of Alberta | Activity | 2023-10-31 | Camila Santander, Liu, Q., Tang, T., Hongbo Zeng |
| Behavior of Bitumen-coated Fine Solids in Organic Media from Non-aqueous Extraction of Oil SandsFine solids removal from NAE bitumen by using water and polymers
University of Alberta | Publication | 2019-01-01 | Liu, J. |
| Kaolinite Surface Charges Developed in Cyclohexane in the Presence of Bitumen | Publication | 2023-08-31 | Hanyu Zhang |
| Molecular Dynamics Evaluation of Polymer Solubility and Polymer-Kaolinite Interactions for the Removal of Fine Solids from Cyclohexane Diluted Bitumen Product | Publication | 2025-11-17 | Gabriel Pereira da Costa |
| Removal and Alteration of Organic Matters from Mineral Surfaces in Low- Temperature Hydrothermal Treatment | Publication | 2025-06-01 | Menatalla Ahmed |
| Surface-Modified Magnetite Nanoparticles for Advanced Separation and Purification | Publication | 2024-09-01 | Xuyang Liu |
| Water-Assisted Flocculation of Fine Solids by Biopolymer Additives for the Purification of Solvent Extracted Bitumen | Publication | 2025-11-17 | Camila Santander |
| Aggregation of Crude Oil-Modified Fine Solids in Aqueous and Non-aqueous MediaFine solids dispersion and aggregation in aqueous and non-aqueous media as affected by bitumen coating
| Publication | 2021-01-01 | Juan Darius |
| EFFECT OF SOLVENT DEASPHALTING PROCESS ON THE PROPERTIES OF DEASPHALTED OIL AND ASPHALTENES FROM BITUMENSolvent deasphalting and its effect on the deasphalted oil and asphaltene
| Publication | 2017-01-01 | Annapurna Sri Sowmya Turuga |
| Removing Fine Solids from Oil through Water-assisted Flocculation using Biomolecules Extracted from Guar BeansRemoving Fine Solids from Oil through Water-assisted Flocculation using Biomolecules Extracted from Guar Beans | Publication | 2020-08-25 | Camila Santander |
| Removal of hydrophobic bitumen-coated fine solids from NAE bitumen using water droplets with modified interfacial chemistry and bio-inspired polymersRemoval of hydrophobic bitumen-coated fine solids from NAE bitumen using water droplets with modified interfacial chemistry and bio-inspired polymers University of Alberta | Activity | 2019-05-16 | Jing Liu, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| METHOD TO REMOVE OIL SANDS CONTAMINATION OF STEEL SURFACES University of Alberta | IP Management | 2023-03-03 | Liu, Q., "Shaofeng Sun", Qimeng Yang, Xuehua Zhang, "Boran Tian" |
| A Janus facilitated transport membrane with asymmetric surface wettability and dense/porous structure: enabling high stability and separation efficiencyA Janus facilitated transport membrane with asymmetric surface wettability and dense/porous structure: enabling high stability and separation efficiency University of Alberta | Publication | 2021-05-11 | "Duo Wang", Fenglin Liu, "Xiaoyong Zhang", "Meng Wu", "Feifei Wang", "Jifang Liu", "Jianmei Wang", Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Bio-inspired, facile and scalable surface functionalization approach with small molecules for multitasking oil decontamination Bio-inspired, facile and scalable surface functionalization approach with small molecules for multitasking oil decontamination University of Alberta | Publication | 2021-05-12 | Xiaohui Mao, "Ziqian Zhao", "Diling Yang", "Chenyu Qiao", "Jinglin Tan", Liu, Q., Tang, T., Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Effect of charge density of reverse emulsion breaker on demulsification performance for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) emulsions under high temperature and high pressureEffect of charge density of reverse emulsion breaker on demulsification performance for steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) emulsions under high temperature and high pressure University of Alberta | Publication | 2020-10-14 | "Duo Wang", "Chenyu Qiao", "Ziqian Zhao", "Yueying Huang", "Song Gao", "Dingzheng Yang", Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Effect of Salinity on Water/Oil Interface with Model Asphaltene and Non-Ionic Surfactants: Insights from Molecular Simulations University of Alberta | Publication | 2023-02-09 | Xiaoyu Sun, Hongbo Zeng, Tang, T. |
| Electrochemical investigation of the interactions of organic and inorganic depressants on basal and edge planes of molybdenite | Publication | 2020-06-01 | Jingyi Wang, Lei Xie, Qingye Lu, Xiaogang Wang, Jianmei Wang, Hongbo Zeng |
| Electrodeposition of bitumen-, asphaltene-, or maltene-coated kaolinite from cyclohexane suspensions.Migration of bitumen-coated kaolinite in cycohexane solution under external electric field
University of Alberta | Publication | 2022-04-11 | Hanyu Zhang, Xiaoli Tan, Kaipeng Wang, Liu, Q. |
| Facile and scalable surface functionalization approach with small silane molecules for oil/water separation and demulsification of surfactant/asphaltenes-stabilized emulsionsFacile and scalable surface functionalization approach with small silane molecules for oil/water separation and demulsification of surfactant/asphaltenes-stabilized emulsions.
University of Alberta | Publication | 2022-03-15 | Xiaohui Mao, "Ziqian Zhao", "Diling Yang", "Chenyu Qiao", "Jinglin Tan", Liu, Q., Tang, T., Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Free Radical and Cationic Addition due to Clay Minerals Found in Bitumen Froth at 250 °C Probed with Use of α-Methylstyrene and 1-OcteneFollowing previous evidence that hydrothermal treatment of bitumen froth does not lead to bitumen upgrading at 250 °C and promotes viscosity increase, the current study explores the free radical and cationic reactivity of clay minerals found in bitumen froth in promoting heavier material formation through addition reactions. The current investigation employed α-methylstyrene (AMS) and 1-octene as probe molecules instead of bitumen froth, and their conversion at 250 °C in the presence of clay minerals kaolinite and illite was studied in batch reactors. Thermal conversion of AMS and 1-octene at 250 °C in the absence of minerals was observed to be low. In the presence of clay minerals, not only the conversion of AMS and 1-octene was increased but also reactions such as dimerization of AMS and alkylation of 1-octene and toluene (used as solvents) were mainly promoted, leading to heavier product formation. Double-bond isomerization of 1-octene and cumene formation from AMS was side reactions that were also promoted by the clay minerals. Suppression of mineral-related conversion by pyridine and selectivity to different reaction products that enabled differentiation between free radical and cationic reaction pathways indicated that the mineral-related conversion was predominantly cationic in nature. Using the reactions in the presence of minerals and pyridine as surrogates for alkaline bitumen froth, it was concluded that even under alkaline conditions, minerals could promote heavier material formation through cationic addition. | Publication | 2022-11-09 | Annapurna Sri Sowmya Turuga, Arno De Klerk |
| High Molecular Weight Guar Gum Assisted Settling of Fine Solids in Diluted Bitumen: Effect of SolventsHigh Molecular Weight Guar Gum Assisted Settling of Fine Solids in Diluted Bitumen: Effect of Solvents University of Alberta | Publication | 2021-12-15 | Camila Santander, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| High-efficiency and Durable Removal of Water-in-Heavy Oil Emulsions Enabled by Delignified and Carboxylated Basswood with Zwitterionic Nanohydrogel Coatings University of Alberta | Publication | 2022-04-15 | "Tao Shui", Mingfei Pan, "Yi Lu", "Jiawen Zhang", "Qingxia Liu", "Petr A.Nikrityuk", Tang, T., Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Hydrothermal Treatment of Bitumen Froth: Impact of Mineral Solids and Water on Bitumen PropertiesHydrothermal treatment, i.e., thermal treatment of bitumen in the presence of water and solids, as a potential approach for combined froth treatment and upgrading was investigated in this work. Reactions were performed in batch reactors at 250 °C with the bitumen, water, and solid phases separated from industrially obtained bitumen froth, and the impact of the presence or absence of water
and/or solids on the bitumen conversion was studied. Statistical analysis of bitumen properties revealed that the hydrothermal treatment of the bitumen froth at 250 °C did not lead to upgrading of the bitumen. Treatment at the conditions used in this study was beneficial only when the bitumen was converted on its own. Water and/or mineral solids contributed to an increase in viscosity, which
was accompanied by an increase in free radical content. These observations were tentatively explained based on the generation of free radicals by redox reactions and heavier product formation promoted by free radical addition reactions. While the treatment did not significantly impact the density of bitumen, changes in the H/C ratio, n-heptane insoluble content, and metal content of bitumen were noted. The total acid number (TAN) of bitumen increased in the presence of water and mineral solids. Base catalyzed hydrolysis of esters and anhydrides in bitumen might be responsible for the increase in TAN, and the solids and water appeared to promote these reactions. | Publication | 2021-10-25 | Annapurna Sri Sowmya Turuga, Arno De Klerk |
| Hydrothermal Treatment of Oilsands Bitumen Froth at 400 °C: Influence of Minerals and Water on Hydrogen Transfer, Cracking, and Addition ReactionsFollowing prior evidence that water and mineral solids influenced the physicochemical properties of the products derived from the visbreaking of bitumen froth at 400 °C, the present study aimed to explore the effect of water and minerals on the reaction chemistry taking place during the thermal conversion of froth. The current study investigated the relative impact of water and mineral solids on hydrogen transfer, cracking, and addition reactions during the thermal treatment of froth at 400 °C. α-Methylstyrene (AMS) was employed as a probe molecule, and selected chemical species identified in the feed and thermally converted products were monitored. Water had a major effect on suppressing the conversion of AMS, whereas the hindrance of AMS conversion by mineral solids seemed to be minor. Substantial evidence of hydrogen and methyl transfer, hydration, and addition reactions was observed through the formation of specific AMS-derived products. The potential free radical and cationic pathways for the conversion of AMS were evaluated based on the product composition of the different reaction systems. There was an indication that the availability of hydrogen donors also influenced the conversion pathways of AMS. Both water and mineral solids favored the extent of hydrogen transfer during the treatment. However, their specific effect on promoting transfer hydrogenation could not be determined. AMS was not a good probe for cracking under the conditions of this study. Evidence of hydration was observed in the water-containing systems. The presence of water suppressed the formation of addition products, resulting in an overall formation of these products that was half of that observed in the absence of water. The presence of minerals during the treatment seemed to have a minor impact on the selectivity profile of addition products, although it had no apparent influence on the overall formation of these products. | Publication | 2024-01-04 | Joao Felipe Pereira Bassane, Arno De Klerk |
| Interfacial Behavior and Interaction Mechanism of Pentol/Water Interface Stabilized with AsphaltenesInterfacial Behavior and Interaction Mechanism of Pentol/Water Interface Stabilized with Asphaltenes University of Alberta | Publication | 2019-10-01 | Lei Xie, "Qiuyi Lu", Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q., Tang, T., Hongbo Zeng |
| Intermolecular and Surface Forces at Solid/Oil/Water/Gas Interfaces in Petroleum Production | Publication | 2019-03-01 | Ling Zhang, Lei Xie, Xinwei Cui, "Jingsi Chen", Hongbo Zeng |
| Intermolecular and Surface Interactions in Engineering ProcessesIntermolecular and Surface Interactions in Engineering Processes | Publication | 2021-01-01 | "Jiawen Zhang", Hongbo Zeng |
| Kaolinite surface charges developed in cyclohexane suspension with dissolved Span 80 or bitumen: Electrodeposition and adsorption/desorption studies. University of Alberta | Publication | 2023-08-10 | Hanyu Zhang, Kaipeng Wang, Xiaoli Tan, Liu, Q. |
| Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Model Asphaltenes between Surfaces of Varying Polarity University of Alberta | Publication | 2023-01-01 | Wenyuan Sun, Hongbo Zeng, Tang, T. |
| Molecular dynamics simulation of the adsorption interactions of selected polar and nonpolar polymers on kaolinite basal surfaces in the presence of cyclohexane. University of Alberta | Publication | 2025-09-11 | Gabriel Pereira da Costa, "Stanislav Stoyanov", Liu, Q., Phillip YK Choi |
| Molecular Dynamics Simulation on Water/Oil Interface with Model Asphaltene Subjected to Electric Field University of Alberta | Publication | 2022-08-08 | Wenhui Li, Hongbo Zeng, Tang, T. |
| Molecular Simulations on the Coalescence of Water-in-Oil Emulsion Droplets with Non-ionic Surfactant and Model University of Alberta | Publication | 2023-02-03 | Xiaoyu Sun, Hongbo Zeng, Tang, T. |
| Novel polymer nanoparticles with core-shell structure for breaking asphaltenes-stabilized W/O and O/W emulsions University of Alberta | Publication | 2023-06-15 | Xiaohui Mao, "Feifei Wang", "Baoshan Lu", Tang, T., Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Probing the Interaction Mechanism between Oil Droplets with Asphaltenes and Solid Surfaces Using AFMProbing the Interaction Mechanism between Oil Droplets with Asphaltenes and Solid Surfaces Using AFM | Publication | 2020-01-12 | "Chen Shi", Lei Xie, Ling Zhang, "Xi Lu", Hongbo Zeng |
| Probing the interactions between Pickering emulsion droplets stabilized with pH-responsive nanoparticles University of Alberta | Publication | 2021-06-24 | Xiaohui Mao, "Diling Yang", Lei Xie, Liu, Q., Tang, T., Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Probing the Interfacial Forces and Surface Interaction Mechanisms in Petroleum Production Processes University of Alberta | Publication | 2022-11-02 | "Diling Yang", Xuwen Peng, "Qiongyao Peng", Tao Wang, "Chenyu Qiao", "Ziqian Zhao", "Lu Gong", Yueliang Liu, Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Recent Advances in Bubble-based Technologies: Underlying Interaction Mechanisms and ApplicationsRecent Advances in Bubble-based Technologies: Underlying Interaction Mechanisms and Applications University of Alberta | Publication | 2021-03-03 | "Chenyu Qiao", "Diling Yang", Xiaohui Mao, Lei Xie, "Lu Gong", Xuwen Peng, Tao Wang, Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Recent Advances in the Quantification and Modulation of Hydrophobic Interactions for Interfacial ApplicationsRecent Advances in the Quantification and Modulation of Hydrophobic Interactions for Interfacial Applications | Publication | 2020-02-05 | Lei Xie, "Xin Cui", "Lu Gong", "Jingsi Chen", Hongbo Zeng |
| Removal of fine solids from bitumen by hetero-aggregation and magnetic separation using surface-modified magnetite nanoparticles. Part I: Proof of concept. University of Alberta | Publication | 2022-11-01 | Xuyang Liu, Kaipeng Wang, Xiaoli Tan, Hongbo Zeng, Liu, Q. |
| Removal of fine solids from bitumen by hetero-aggregation and magnetic separation using surface-modified magnetite nanoparticles. Part II: role of surface modification University of Alberta | Publication | 2023-11-30 | Xuyang Liu, Kaipeng Wang, Xiaoli Tan, Tony Yeung, Hongbo Zeng, Liu, Q. |
| Role of Molecular Architecture in the Modulation of Hydrophobic InteractionsRole of Molecular Architecture in the Modulation of Hydrophobic Interactions University of Alberta | Publication | 2020-01-03 | Lei Xie, "Diling Yang", "Qiuyi Lu", Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Surface Interaction Mechanisms in Mineral Flotation: Fundamentals, Measurements, and Perspectives University of Alberta | Publication | 2021-09-01 | Lei Xie, "JIngyi Wang", Liu, Q., Zhang, H., Hongbo Zeng |
| Techniques for treating slop oil in oil and gas industry: A short reviewTechniques for treating slop oil in oil and gas industry: A short review University of Alberta | Publication | 2020-11-01 | "Duo Wang", "Ziqian Zhao", "Chenyu Qiao", Wenshuai Yang, "Yueying Huang", "Patrick McKay", "Dingzheng Yang", Liu, Q., Hongbo Zeng |
| Understanding the Properties of Bitumen Froth from Oil Sands Surface Mining and Treatment of Water-in-oil Emulsions University of Alberta | Publication | 2021-11-24 | "Duo Wang", "Chenyu Qiao", "Ziqian Zhao", Wenshuai Yang, "Hongyun Chen", "Taiheng Yin", "Zhiling Yan", "Meng Wu", Xiaohui Mao, Camila Santander, Liu, Q., "Qingxia Liu", Petr A Nikrityuk, Tang, T., Hongbo Zeng |
| Unraveling the Hydrophobic Interaction Mechanisms of Hydrocarbon and Fluorinated Surfaces University of Alberta | Publication | 2023-04-01 | "Lu Gong", Feiyi Wu, Wenshuai Yang, "Charley Huang", Wenhui Li, Tang, T., Hongbo Zeng |
| Visbreaking of Bitumen Froth: Influence of Minerals, Water, and Solvent on the Physicochemical Changes in the Bitumen PhaseThermal treatment of oil sand bitumen froth has the goal of not only improving the separation process during froth treatment but also accomplishing bitumen upgrading. There is evidence that both water and minerals have an effect on the physicochemical transformations that take place during the treatment. However, little is known about the nature of these transformations and whether the presence of mineral solids and water can be beneficial. The current study investigated the visbreaking of froth at 400 °C with an average equivalent residence time of 30 min. The froth elements (mineral solids and water) were either separated or maintained in the mixture to assess their effects during visbreaking. Visbreaking was performed in the absence and presence of hydrocarbon solvents (n-hexane and kerosene). Viscosity, density, refractive index, elemental composition, persistent free radical content, and nature of the hydrogen and carbon content were evaluated before and after the treatment. The products from froth visbreaking on a solvent-free bitumen basis had a kinematic viscosity in the range 1–4 × 103 mm2/s at 7.5 °C and a density in the range 990–1000 kg/m3 at 15.6 °C. When visbreaking was performed in the presence of n-hexane, the products had a lower increase in aromatic C, lower viscosity, and lower density on solvent-free basis compared to the products from visbreaking performed in kerosene or without a solvent. The presence of mineral solids and/or water during bitumen visbreaking consistently yielded a bitumen product with numerically higher viscosity and density compared with visbreaking of bitumen alone. Mineral solids and water affected hydrogen transfer reactions during visbreaking, which could be seen in terms of the relative change in the aromatic H and C content in the products. When mineral solids were present, some products were adsorbed on the solids, which also affected the H/C and free radical contents of the liquid product. | Publication | 2023-08-04 | Joao Felipe Pereira Bassane, Arno De Klerk |
| Viscosity Mixing Rules for Bitumen at 1-10 wt % Solvent Dilution When Only Viscosity and Density Are Known | Publication | 2020-06-01 | Natalia Montoya Sanchez, Arno De Klerk |
