A gas flotation tank is provided that includes a series of adjacent chambers which impart a rotational current therein. Each chamber is separated from a skim oil trough by a skimming weir. Each chamber comprises an alternating fluid communication device between adjacent chambers allowing fluid communication between adjacent chambers in the form of a communication port in the dividing wall between adjacent chambers and a chamber outlet in conjunction with a perforated plate and the outlet is positioned in fluid communication with the final chamber. An optional coalescing media may be positioned in or proximate the communication port to absorb or coalesce contaminants as they pass therethrough.

The present invention provides new techniques related to magnetically controllable and/or steerable froth for use in separation processes of mineral-bearing ore and bitumen. Apparatus is provided featuring a processor configured to contain a fluidic medium having a material-of-interest and also having a surfactant with magnetic properties so as to cause the formation of a froth layer that contains at least some of the material-of-interest and is magnetically responsive; and a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field and provide non-mechanical mixing and steering/driving of the froth layer in the processor. The material-of-interest may be mineral-bearing ore particles or bitumen. The processor includes a flotation tank, a primary separation vessel (PSV), or a pipe, including a tailings pipeline. The pipe has a non-magnetic pipe section, and the magnetic field generator includes a magnetic coil arranged in relation to non-magnetic pipe section to generate the magnetic field and provide the non-mechanical mixing and steering/driving of the froth layer in the pipe.

A process for regionalization of mining bitumen-containing oil sands ore for extraction and conversion to produce dry bitumen comprises operating multiple separate oil sands ore mining and extraction facilities or in situ thermal recovery facilities, to produce separate bitumen froth streams; operating a regional paraffinic froth treatment (PFT) hub for receiving a portion of each of the separate bitumen froth streams and treating the bitumen froth streams to produce the dry bitumen; optionally providing a portion of the dry bitumen stream to the bitumen upgrading facility and another portion of the dry bitumen stream to a bitumen market pipeline or remote upgrading facility; and optionally comprising regionalization of water distribution where by-product waters are recovered from the PFT hub and the upgrading facilities and distributed to the mining and extraction facilities for use as extraction processing water to produce the bitumen froth streams.

A process for separation of a slurry by radially injecting a stream of a nanogas solution at a shear-focus volume within a pipe; passing an aqueous slurry through the pipe along a direction of flow and through the shear-focus volume; and shearing and/or admixing the slurry with the nanogas solution within the shear-focus volume.

There is provided a fluid treatment separator and a method of treating fluid such as tailings from tailings ponds resulting from oil sands production. A fluid treatment separator may be used for treatment of a mixture containing at least oil and water. The separator includes a mixing chamber, an inlet and at least one outlet. The mixing chamber defines a flow path between the inlet and the at least one outlet. The inlet includes a nozzle arranged to introduce turbulence to the mixture along the flow path. At least one magnet is arranged to apply a magnetic field to the mixture along the flow path.

The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from an aqueous or oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is used in the presence of a source of alkalinity or anionic reactant as well as surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate multiply charged cation and suspended solids removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

A process for separation of a slurry by radially injecting a stream of a nanogas solution at a shear-focus volume within a pipe; passing an aqueous slurry through the pipe along a direction of flow and through the shear-focus volume; and shearing and/or admixing the slurry with the nanogas solution within the shear-focus volume.

There is provided a fluid treatment separator and a method of treating fluid such as tailings from tailings ponds resulting from oil sands production. A fluid treatment separator may be used for treatment of a mixture containing at least oil and water. The separator includes a mixing chamber, an inlet and at least one outlet. The mixing chamber defines a flow path between the inlet and the at least one outlet. The inlet includes a nozzle arranged to introduce turbulence to the mixture along the flow path. At least one magnet is arranged to apply a magnetic field to the mixture along the flow path.

The present invention provides improved methods for purifying and/or removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from water. In particular the process relates to an additive composition that has the appropriate surfactant characteristics for effectively removing multiply charged cations and suspended solids from an aqueous or oil/aqueous mixed phase via foam fractionation. According to the invention, a hydrophobically modified polymer that acts as an associative thickener is used in the presence of a source of alkalinity or anionic reactant as well as surfactant in appropriate ratios to facilitate multiply charged cation and suspended solids removal for water purification in any of a number of commercial, environmental and industrial applications.

The present invention provides new techniques related to magnetically controllable and/or steerable froth for use in separation processes of mineral-bearing ore and bitumen. Apparatus is provided featuring a processor configured to contain a fluidic medium having a material-of-interest and also having a surfactant with magnetic properties so as to cause the formation of a froth layer that contains at least some of the material-of-interest and is magnetically responsive; and a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field and provide non-mechanical mixing and steering/driving of the froth layer in the processor. The material-of-interest may be mineral-bearing ore particles or bitumen. The processor includes a flotation tank, a primary separation vessel (PSV), or a pipe, including a tailings pipeline. The pipe has a non-magnetic pipe section, and the magnetic field generator includes a magnetic coil arranged in relation to non-magnetic pipe section to generate the magnetic field and provide the non-mechanical mixing and steering/driving of the froth layer in the pipe.