Particle Characterization for Oil Sand Processing. III. Sample Preparation

The procedures used to prepare laboratory samples of solids from oil sand processing streams for particle size measurements by laser diffraction are discussed. The method used to clean bitumen from the sample significantly influences the physical form of the cleaned solids. However, clay particles in the solids are effectively dispersed in water using an ultrasonic probe and this technique gives consistent particle size determinations irrespective of the method used to clean the solids. The uncertainties in the measurement are evaluated and it is concluded that most of the variation arises from subsampling the solids. However, the procedures described in this article are shown to give excellent repeatability.