Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of the energy used while mining. Scientists at GE Global Research, the hub of technology
development for all of GE's businesses, have partnered with the University of Alberta and
Alberta Innovates—Technology Futures, Alberta's technology incubator, to use nanotech-
nology to create a new iltration system that tackles the twin problems of water treatment
and carbon capture. The work has the potential to cut carbon emissions during the extrac-
tion process by 25%.
In oil sands, the oil is as thick as peanut butter and does not low. Called “bitumen,” it
must be processed to take on the characteristics of light crude oil; it can either be mined
at the surface, which only works for 20% of the operations in Canada, or by drilling deep
underground wells. In drilling, steam or other solvents must be injected so the thick oil
can be pumped to the surface. It is that process—turning the water to steam, pumping
it in and out, and then upgrading the material into light crude—that uses a great deal of
energy and water.
At the heart of the new nanotechnology research are naturally occurring zeolites identi-
ied by the University of Alberta. These materials are rocks with molecularly sized pores
that allow small molecules to enter while excluding larger molecules. Zeolites are widely
used in the chemical industry as catalysts, and this project seeks to form these materials
into membranes that can be used for high-temperature gas separation and for iltration of
contaminated water.
