Bitumen, as a black and sticky substance that is solid at ambient temperature and becomes a paste when the temperature increases, was discovered for the first time 4 years before Christ and was then used by the Sumerians, Romans, etc. in different areas. With the progress of various sciences and technologies, transitional methods and solutions were used to produce industrial bitumens. As one of the oil derivatives, refinery bitumen has a special place in the world economy and various industries, and many refineries have been built in oil-rich regions to process this substance and other oil derivatives. In the following article, we will examine what a bitumen refinery is and how different types of bitumen are produced.
Bitumen production refinery
In fact, a refinery is a set of industrial facilities where crude oil is processed and various products such as kerosene, diesel, bitumen, gasoline, etc. are obtained from it. Basically, a bitumen refinery is a complex industrial place that consists of several units and each of these units are connected to each other by huge pipes. In order to convert crude oil into bitumen in these units, many physical and chemical operations and changes will be carried out, and eventually consumable bitumens will be produced. In refineries, raw materials are converted into usable and consumable materials, and each refinery has its own production plans, which will be determined according to the equipment and operational costs, as well as the demand for the products.
How to produce refinery bitumen
Refinery bitumen is also known as industrial bitumen, and along with Gilsonite or natural bitumen, it can have many applications, and even mixing Gilsonite (natural bitumen) and refinery bitumen can improve asphalt performance and more applications in many industries such as road construction. In bitumen production refineries and to produce a high-quality product, light petroleum raw materials such as propane and gasoline are first extracted from crude oil. This operation will be achieved at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure, and then heavier oil compounds such as kerosene and diesel are separated from the raw material. In fact, in refineries, vacuum pressure is used to separate heavy materials from crude oil, and finally light materials will be refined. After refining heavy and light materials, a mixture of very fine solid particles called asphaltene remains, and it is immersed in a liquid material such as grease to finally obtain industrial bitumen.
Bitumen types
Bitumen is a black and pasty material that is composed of several hydrocarbons and dissolves completely in carbon sulfide and carbon tetrachloride. This substance is solid at room temperature and turns into a paste when the temperature increases. The main applications of bitumen are due to its unique features such as its impermeability to water and its high adhesion. Industrial and refinery bitumen can have different types and the way of producing different types of bitumen, the most important of which are as follows:
Petroleum bitumen (refinery) and natural bitumen
Bitumen is usually obtained from the distillation of crude oil and is known as distillate bitumen or petroleum bitumen. Distillation of this bitumen is done in two stages, where light substances such as gasoline and propane are separated from oil in the first stage, and heavy compounds such as diesel and kerosene are removed in the second stage. Some bitumens are also obtained in nature and in the long term as a result of gradual conversion of crude oil and evaporation of volatile substances. These bitumens are natural bitumen and are also known as lake bitumen.
Blown bitumen
This type of bitumen is obtained by blowing hot air into pure bitumen in the final stage of the purification process. Basically, in this process, hot air with a temperature of 200 to 300 degrees Celsius is blown into the chamber containing bitumen through perforated pipes, and the hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbon molecules of the bitumen combine with the oxygen in the air, and with the formation of water, the curing process will take place. This bitumen has a lower degree of penetration than pure bitumen and has a higher degree of softness. This bitumen is less sensitive to temperature changes and will have many industrial and non-industrial applications, the most common of which are making roofing sheets, car batteries, etc.
Soluble bitumen
This bitumen is also a combination of bitumen and a solvent such as kerosene or gasoline and it will be liquid at ambient temperature. This bitumen is widely used in coating asphalts, and its setting and hardening speed can be affected by the type of solution, that's why the bitumen dissolved in gasoline hardens very quickly and is known as quick-setting bitumen. In principle, fast-acting bitumen is known as RC bitumen and slow-acting bitumen is known as MC bitumen, and bitumen that dissolves in gas oil or fuel oil is known as slow-acting oil or SC bitumen. Soluble bitumens are classified based on their density and viscosity, and each can have multiple uses.
The final conclusion
Bitumen refinery, as a set of industrial facilities and various units, can process crude oil and produce various products such as kerosene, diesel, gasoline, bitumen, etc. Bitumen, as a practical and valuable hydrocarbon material, can have different types such as natural bitumen, refinery bitumen, soluble bitumen and blown bitumen, and each of them has many uses with their unique characteristics.
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