Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology (한국응용과학기술학회지)

The Korean Society of Applied Science and Technology (한국응용과학기술학회)
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Brief Review of Tailings Treatments in Oil Sands Field

오일샌드 테일링 처리 동향연구

  • Kyeongseok Oh (Department of Chemical.and Biological Engineering, Inha Techincal College)
  • 오경석 (인하공업전문대학 화학생명공학과)
  • Received : 2023.03.06
  • Accepted : 2023.04.27
  • Published : 2023.04.30
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Abstract

The controversy is becoming a hot issue after informed that the water release from Canadian oil sands tailings may initiate within a few years. The surface-mined bitumen extraction in open pit generates wastewater inevitably, which has been conveyed to store in tailings ponds. Currently, the size of tailings pond is getting seriously larger. It is known that tailings treatment is very difficult because the generation of MFT (mature fine tailings) layer is hardly processable. It would be the key process to separate solids and liquid placed within MFT where fine particles are well dispersed. In this paper, the surface-mined bitumen extraction process was first introduced, and followed by presenting the components of tailings as well as the characteristics of MFT. In addition, MFT process options were evaluated. It is expected that successful MFT treatments may be achieved by dewatering process using effective polymer flocculants in near future.

오일샌드 테일링의 방류 예정 소식은 찬반 논쟁을 이끌고 있다. 노천광 채굴연계 비투멘 추출공정은 폐수의 발생이 필연적이며, 테일링 인공호수에 저장된다. 현재, 방치된 테일링 인공호수의 규모는 갈수록 그 양이 커지고 있다. 테일링 처리가 매우 어려운 원인으로, 테일링 내의 MFT(mature fine tailings) 층의 생성과 연관이 깊다. 테일링 처리를 위해서는, MFT내에 분산된 미립자를 효과적으로 응집시켜 고체와 액체를 분리하는 핵심 공정이 필요하다. 본 논문에서는 먼저 채굴연계 비투멘 추출공정을 소개하였고, 이를 통해 테일링의 구성 성분과 MFT 특성에 대해서 정리하였다. 또한, MFT 처리공정에 대해 살펴보았다. 향후, 효과적인 고분자 응집제의 선정과 효율적인 탈수공정의 연계성으로 MFT 처리가 성공적으로 진행되기를 기대한다.

Keywords

References

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