Heavy Oil—Solid separation mechanism opportunities and challenges: From interfacial Concept

In recent years, conventional oil has played a crucial role in industrial production and daily life. However, as oil resources continue to decline, the development of unconventional oil resources has become an important research focus. Among these resources, advancements in heavy oil-solid separation technology are essential for improving recovery rates and economic efficiency. This paper focused on unconventional heavy oil and discussed in detail the characterization techniques for oil-solid separation, including AFM, QCM-D, SFA and FTIR. It also covered various separation techniques such as HWBE, solvent extraction, and pyrolysis. Due to the unclear mechanisms of heavy oil-solid separation, this review explored how heavy oil could be effectively separated from host solids to better understand the heavy oil-solid separation mechanisms. Finally, it explored the current challenges and future research directions, offering valuable insights and theoretical support for enhancing the practical application of heavy oil separation processes.