Getting to know the types of bitumen in the simplest language
In today's world, bitumen has become one of the most practical materials that are used in various industries and have received much attention due to its unique properties such as excellent adhesion and high water impermeability. The types of bitumen and its application are different based on the method of production, characteristics and capabilities, physical and chemical characteristics, etc. For this reason, in this article, we are going to introduce each one to help you choose the best option to meet your needs.
What is bitumen?
Bitumen is a hydrocarbon substance that exists in dark brown and black colors and can be easily dissolved in substances such as carbon sulfur and tetrachlorocarbon. This material is solid at room temperature and turns into a paste when the temperature increases. Bitumen consists of various materials and compounds, the most important of which can be classified in the following categories:
- Heterocyclic compounds
- Saturated hydrocarbons
- Polar aromatic compounds such as phenol
- Naphthalene and polycyclic aromatic compounds
- And…
Types of bitumen and its use
In general, bitumens are classified based on various factors and parameters and have a high variety. In fact, petroleum-based bitumens are divided into the following three main categories:
- Soluble bitumens such as MC, RC, SC bitumens
- Emulsion bitumens such as CMS, CRS, CSS bitumens
- Pure bitumen such as bitumen with a penetration degree such as 60-70 and PG bitumen such as 75-30
It should be noted that each of these items have different capabilities and applications and are used in different situations. It is true that the types of bitumen are different in terms of various factors; However, their most important technical specifications can be summarized in the following:
- Viscosity
- Ductility
- Penetration degree
- Flash Point
- Softening Point
- Specific Gravity
- Solubilit bitumen solubility or degree of purity
- Fraass Breaking Point
- Effect of heat and air on Bitumen Thin Film Over Test
- And…
1. Petroleum bitumen and natural bitumen
This bitumen is generally obtained from crude oil and is also known as distilled bitumen; It should also be noted that this material is the product of two stages of crude oil distillation in the distillation tower. In the first stage, distillation, which is done at a pressure close to atmospheric pressure, light substances such as gasoline and propane are separated from crude oil. The second stage of the process, which is carried out under vacuum pressure, removes heavy compounds such as diesel and kerosene.
Remember that natural bitumen is also a type of bitumen that is obtained as a result of the gradual transformation of crude oil and the evaporation of its volatile substances over many years, and it is more durable compared to distilled bitumen. Natural bitumen can exist in lakes or be extracted from mines.
Among the most important applications of natural bitumen, the following can be mentioned:
- Agriculture
- Recycling industry
- Road construction
- Transportation Industry
- Construction industry
- Use as fuel
- Insulation of various equipment
- Use in coking industries
- Used in insulation industries such as oil and gas industry
And…
2. Blown bitumen
Blown bitumen is one of the types of bitumen which is obtained by blowing hot air into pure bitumen in the final stage of the purification process. Hot air with a temperature of 200 to 300 degrees is blown into the chamber containing bitumen through perforated pipes, and as a result of this process, the hydrogen contained in the molecules of bitumen hydrocarbons is combined with the oxygen in the air, and with the formation of water, polymerization occurs. This bitumen has a lower degree of penetration than pure bitumen, but it is softer and shows less sensitivity to temperature changes.
3. Mixed or soluble bitumen
Soluble bitumen is actually a mixture of bitumen and a suitable solvent such as kerosene or gasoline, which is in liquid form at ambient temperature and is used in all kinds of asphalt coatings, etc. It should be noted that the degree of setting and hardening of this bitumen depends on the type of its solution.
Dissolved bitumen hardens rapidly in a substance such as gasoline; Because gasoline evaporates quickly. For this reason, this type of bitumen is also referred to as "retarding bitumen" (RC). On the other hand, tars that are dissolved in materials such as oil and harden later are called retarding bitumen (MC).
4. Bitumen emulsion
What is bitumen emulsion? Emulsion is basically a type of soluble bitumen in which bitumen is combined with water and an emulsifying agent; This emulsifier makes up about 0.3 to 0.5% of the weight of bitumen. Alkaline salt of organic acids or ammonium salt are the most important emulsifiers used in this type of bitumen and make their particles charged.
Basically, the charging of bitumen particles causes them to repel each other and float in water as spheres with a diameter of one hundredth to one thousandth of a millimeter. This bitumen has less polluting power and for this reason, it has a lower risk of ignition. One of the most important applications of emulsion bitumen is the production of cold asphalts, insulation, etc.
Based on another classification, such as the classification based on origin, these materials are classified into three categories: natural bitumen, petroleum bitumen, and tar. Natural bitumen includes lake bitumen, rock bitumen and gilsonite. Petroleum bitumen also includes pure bitumen, blown bitumen, emulsion bitumen and soluble bitumen, and finally, tar bitumen is very similar to petroleum bitumen.
The final conclusion
Bitumens are among the hydrocarbon materials that have many industrial applications due to their unique properties such as excellent adhesion, impermeability against moisture and water, etc. These materials are classified based on various factors, the most important of which is the source of production, and based on this, bitumens are divided into three main categories: natural bitumen, petroleum bitumen, and tar bitumen.
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