As a black hydrocarbon material, bitumen is one of the most practical materials that is used in many industries today and due to having compounds such as heterocyclic compounds, saturated hydrocarbons, polar aromatic compounds such as phenol, naphthalene, and polycyclic aromatic compounds of chemical characteristics And it has a unique physique. With excellent adhesion and high water repellency, bitumen can exist in solid and liquid form and can be easily dissolved in substances such as carbon sulfur and tetrachlorocarbon. Emulsion bitumen and soluble bitumen are among the graves that can have many properties, characteristics and capabilities. In the following article, the difference between emulsion bitumen and MC solution will be discussed.
Bitumen types
As mentioned, bitumens can be classified based on several factors and parameters and according to their differences, they can have different uses. In general, petroleum-based bitumens are divided into three main categories, and each of these categories can have several subcategories.
Soluble bitumen (MC, RC, SC)
Emulsion bitumens (CMS, CRS, CSS)
Pure bitumen
In principle, each of these three categories of bitumen can be distinguished in terms of factors and parameters such as viscosity, softening point, specific weight, degree of elasticity, degree of penetration, flash point, solubility or degree of purity of bitumen, breaking point, effect of heat and air on bitumen, etc. be different.
What is emulsion bitumen?
Emulsified bitumen is essentially a mixture of bitumen and water that is immiscible and bitumen will exist in it in the form of very fine suspended particles. In another definition, it can be said that emulsion bitumen is a combination of pure petroleum bitumen, solvent, water, emulsifier and acid, which are mixed using a colloidal mill at several thousand rpm. In this mixture, bitumen is known as internal or non-continuous phase and water as external or continuous phase. The diameter of bitumen grains in this composition is between 0.001 and 0.002 mm, and the smaller this diameter is, the better the emulsion will be.
What is mc solution?
MC (Medium Curing) soluble bitumen or retarding soluble bitumen are a type of bitumen that uses semi-heavy solvents such as kerosene in their production. The semi-heavy solvent evaporates later compared to gasoline, naphtha, etc., and this makes these bitumens have unique characteristics. MC soluble bitumens are divided into 5 categories MC30, MC70, MC250, MC800 and MC3000 based on the value of kinematic viscosity and centistokes. The lower the amount of MC bitumen solvent, the more fluid it will be, and with the increase of the amount of bitumen solvent, it will have less fluidity.
The difference between emulsion bitumen and solution
In general, all bitumen, including natural bitumen, Gilsonite mineral bitumen, industrial bitumen, etc., have many similarities, but they can also have special distinctions and differences. In fact, the main difference between emulsion bitumen and MC is in the type of material that turns them into a liquid, but there can be other differences, the most important of which include the following:
- Emulsified bitumens are obtained from a mixture of bitumen and water with the help of an emulsifier, while emulsion bitumens are obtained by mixing bitumen and petroleum solvents.
- Emulsified bitumens are highly compatible with the environment and cause almost no damage to it because their solvent is water and no environmental damage is caused by its evaporation, but soluble bitumens can cause many environmental damages due to their petroleum solvents.
- Since water is used for liquefaction in emulsion bitumen, it can be more economical, while soluble bitumen is produced using petroleum solvents and will usually have a higher price.
- Another difference between mc bitumen and emulsion is the costs related to their lubrication before use, because soluble bitumens require more heat and energy for lubrication due to the type of solvents they have, while emulsion bitumens require less energy and time for lubrication. This can be effective in reducing costs.
- Another difference between emulsion bitumen and solution is their risk of explosion and fire, so that emulsion bitumen is more secure, while soluble bitumen is very dangerous due to the type of solvent.
- Due to the fact that water is used as a solvent in emulsion bitumens, these bitumens can have more adhesive properties because the water in it is separated and evaporated more easily. Petroleum solvents in soluble bitumen need a longer time to evaporate, which makes their quality lower than that of emulsion bitumen.
- The storage time of emulsion bitumen is limited, but the storage time of soluble bitumen is unlimited. Basically, unlike emulsion bitumens, soluble bitumens do not need circulation. In fact, with long-term storage of soluble bitumens, only some of their volatile substances are emitted, which can be solved by adding petroleum substances.
- Another difference between emulsion bitumen and solution is their resistance to freezing, so that emulsion bitumen has little resistance due to the presence of water, but soluble bitumen has high resistance to freezing and can be more useful in winter weather conditions.
- Soluble bitumens are not suitable for damp conditions and air humidity, but emulsion bitumens can perform well in these conditions.
- In terms of appearance, soluble bitumens are completely black, while emulsion bitumens are dark brown.
The final conclusion
Emulsion bitumen and soluble bitumen are among the graves, each of which can have different chemical and physical characteristics and have many uses. The most important difference between these two types of bitumen is their type of solvent, because water is used in emulsion bitumen and petroleum solvents are used in soluble bitumen. Of course, these two types of bitumen can be different from each other in terms of appearance, application, temperature resistance, price, compatibility with the environment, etc.
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