Described herein are methods and systems in which the alkaline dosage used for oil sands slurries fed into a primary separation vessel (PSV) is controlled based on a combination of clay content and process water characteristics. The dosage control can include operating within different dosage envelopes that correspond to respective combinations of clay content and dissolved solids content. Enhanced bitumen separation by the PSV and usage of alkaline compounds, such as caustic, can be facilitated by such methods.

Methods for liquefaction of carbonaceous materials, including methods that use electromagnetic radiation. Systems for liquefaction of carbonaceous materials. The systems may include a circulation conduit for mixing reactants, and/or a heating apparatus that relies on electromagnetic radiation.

The present disclosure relates to a sulfonate-based ionic liquid. A simple process for obtaining the ionic liquid is provided. The conversion of waste into a usable bio-crude oil via a liquefaction process is further described, where the ionic liquid is employed as a catalyst.

A method for continuously filtering a liquid slurry, such as an oil sand and solvent slurry, in a horizontal pan filtering device is provided. In particular, separate filtrate receivers are built under the wet and the dry sectors of a pan filter to take advantage of the liquid seal at the wet sectors so that the solids in the slurry can be compressed by having a higher vacuum under the wet sectors.

Described herein are integrated thermochemical processes for the deliberate decomposition, extraction and conversion of coal into high-value products and goods via solvent extraction, chemical reaction and/or separation. The described systems and methods are versatile and may be used to generate a variety of intermediate, derivative and finished high value products including chemicals (aromatics, asphaltenes, naphthalenes, phenols and precursors for the production of polyamides, polyurethanes, polyesters, graphitic materials), polymer composite products (resins, paints, coatings, adhesives), agricultural materials, building materials, carbon fiber, graphene products and other materials that are substantially more valuable that the energy generated via combustion.

Solvent consumption in supercritical ethanol, propanol or butanol treatment of either refined pre-extracted lignin or comparatively impure lignin-rich solid residual from hydrothermally pretreated lignocellulosic biomass can be minimized by conducting the reaction at very high loading of lignin to solvent. Comparatively impure, crude lignin-rich solid residual can be directly converted by supercritical alcohol treatment to significantly diesel-soluble lignin oil without requirement for pre-extraction or pre-solubilization of lignin or for added reaction promoters such as catalysts, hydrogen donor co-solvents, acids, based or H2 gas. O:C ratio of product oil can readily be obtained using crude lignin residual in such a process at levels 0.20 or lower.

A process the production of a crude liquid lignin oil (CLO), the process includes the steps of providing a lignin-rich solid feedstock and subjecting the lignin-rich solid feedstock to a treatment in a polar organic solvent in the absence of an effective amount of added reaction promoter, such as a heterogeneous and/or homogeneous catalyst and/or hydrogen, and providing a lignin composition, the treatment includes a step of contacting the lignin-rich solid feedstock with a polar organic solvent under operating conditions of an operating temperature up to 210? C., an operating pressure lower than 50 bar and a residence time up to 240 minutes, wherein the ratio (w/v) of lignin (in lignin-rich feedstock) to polar organic solvent ranges between 1:1.5 and 1:15, or between 1:2 and 1:10 or between 1:2 and 1:5.

A continuous process for converting carbonaceous material contained in one or more feedstocks into a liquid hydrocarbon product, said feedstocks including the carbonaceous material being in a feed mixture including one or more fluids, said fluids including water and further liquid organic compounds at least partly produced by the process in a concentration of at least 1% by weight, where the process comprises converting at least part of the carbonaceous material by pressurising the feed mixture to a pressure in the range 250-400 bar; heating the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 370-450 C., and maintaining said pressurized and heated feed mixture in the desired pressure and temperature ranges in a reaction zone for a predefined time; cooling the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 25-200 C. and expanding the feed mixture to a pressure in the range of 1-70 bar, thereby causing the carbonaceous material to be converted to a liquid hydrocarbon product and separating from the converted feed mixture a fraction comprising liquid hydrocarbon product.

The disclosure relates to a process for converting lignin (10) to renewable product (80), wherein the process comprises the following steps; mixing (100) lignin (10) with aqueous solution (20) to obtain a mixture (30); heating (110) the mixture (30) of step (a) to a temperature between 290 and 350? C., under a pressure from 70 to 165 bar, to obtain a first product mix (40); separating aqueous phase (53) and oil phase (50), and optionally gas (51) and solids (52), of the first product mix (40) of step (b); and heating (130) the oil phase (50) of step (c) and solvent (60) to obtain a second product mix (70). The second product mix (70) can be used as such, it can be directed to separation (140) or it can be upgraded. The obtained liquid renewable product is suitable as chemicals, fuel, fuel components or feedstock for fuel production.

A continuous process for converting carbonaceous material contained in one or more feedstocks into a liquid hydrocarbon product, said feedstocks including the carbonaceous material being in a feed mixture including one or more fluids, said fluids including water and further liquid organic compounds at least partly produced by the process in a concentration of at least 1% by weight, where the process comprises converting at least part of the carbonaceous material by pressurizing the feed mixture to a pressure in the range 250-400 bar; heating the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 370-450 C., and maintaining said pressurized and heated feed mixture in the desired pressure and temperature ranges in a reaction zone for a predefined time; cooling the feed mixture to a temperature in the range 25-200 C. and expanding the feed mixture to a pressure in the range of 1-70 bar, thereby causing the carbonaceous material to be converted to a liquid hydrocarbon product and separating from the converted feed mixture a fraction comprising liquid hydrocarbon product.