MICROWAVE INDUCED CATALYTIC DECOMPOSITION OF SOME ALBERTA OIL SANDS AND BITUMENS

The processing of oil sands materials and upgrading of bitumens present a variety of problems for conventional technologies. This article describes a preliminary study of the concept of using microwave induced catalytic techniques to decompose the complex and viscous hydrocarbon compounds contained in these materials to allow efficient extraction of volatile and economically useful organic products such as C2 and C3 hydrocarbons. Addition of water to the tar sand material prior to reaction facilitated separation from the sand component as well as promoting the formation of economically very useful, liquid, oxygenated hydrocarbon products.