Work

Enhancing bitumen froth quality with sodium citrate: Mechanistic insights from synchrotron-based micro CT imaging

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In water-based oil sands extraction, producing cleaner bitumen froth with reduced solids content during primary separation is critical for maintaining high throughput and minimizing downstream solvent loss. This study investigated sodium citrate (Na 3 Cit) as a chemical aid for bitumen froth flotation using synchrotron-based micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging, supported by complementary characterization methods, to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for solids reduction. The addition of Na 3 Cit (150 g/t) reduced the total solids carried to bitumen froth by 18.4 wt% and decreased the solid-to-bitumen (S/B) ratio from 1.15 to 0.97, indicating a significant improvement in froth quality. Micro-CT image segmentation showed that Na 3 Cit selectively influenced sand flotation while leaving the flotation of heavy minerals largely unaffected. In addition, the reduction in solids carryover was primarily associated with decreased water entrainment and reduced true flotation of bitumen-coated sands. The reconstructed X-ray images further suggested enhanced bitumen coalescence accompanied by a notably larger air bubble size and increased total air holdup when Na 3 Cit was used, supporting the hypothesis that Na 3 Cit weakens and softens bitumen-water interfacial film.

Source: Fuel

DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2026.141076

Authors: Hanyu Zhang, Ning Zhu, Iris He, Liuyin Xia

Institutions: University of Alberta, Canadian Light Source (Canada)

Language: English

Topic: Minerals Flotation and Separation Techniques

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,330