Residues from the distillation of properly chosen crude oils are the primary elements in the production of bitumen.
During refining, the lighter components of bitumen are separated from the remainder.
Depending on the crude source and available processing capabilities, specification bitumen is manufactured using a variety of techniques.
A combination of methods is commonly selected.
The figure illustrates an overview of the most important refinery processes.
bitumen manufacturing process pdf
Bitumen is most often produced and manufactured by atmospheric then vacuum distillation process of crude oil or a crude mix.
Straight-run bitumen is widely used for pavement.
This process is described in many scientific books which are also available in pdf form on the internet.
The following passage describes the manufacturing process of bitumen.
Heating crude oil to 300 to 350oC separates lighter fractions from non-boiling components.
The air residue is transported to a vacuum distillation machine to separate the lighter fractions.
The decreased pressure decreases boiling temperatures and eliminates thermal molecular breaking.
Pressure and temperature in the vacuum process determine residuum hardness and bitumen grade.
Changing vacuum distillation variables can make bitumen with different viscosity or hardness degrees.
how much bitumen is produced and used each year in the world bitumen is growing to be one of the most demanded products that are produced, used, and sold in recent years all over the world.
how bitumen is manufactured
In order to be able to purchase the best bitumen, it’s essential to know how is this material manufactured.
The crude oil is pumped from storage tanks at a temperature of approximately 60 degrees Celsius through a heat exchanger system.
Once inside the heat exchanger, the temperature of the crude oil is typically raised to 200 degrees Celsius by exchanging heat obtained from the cooling of newly created products during the refining process.
After being brought to temperatures of around 300 degrees Celsius in a furnace, the crude is then partially evaporated in an atmospheric distillation column.
This is when the components are separated into their constituent parts in a physical sense.
The lighter components rise to the top of the column, while the heavier components, which represent the air residue, fall to the bottom.
properties of bitumen
The crude oil known as bitumen is of low quality and is composed of complex and heavy compounds depending on whether it’s naturally made or artificially manufactured, has different properties.
In an oil reservoir, bitumen is a thick and viscous fluid that needs to be extracted from the ground.
To eliminate it and make it into a better product requires a significant amount of heat as well as labor.
Even though it is difficult to extract bitumen from the ground, the substance can sometimes make its way to the surface of the Earth as a result of petroleum spills.
Seeps are areas on the surface of the earth that allow fossil fuels and other petroleum products to seep out of the ground rather than being trapped underneath.
At these seeps, pools of bitumen, asphalt, and tar can be found bubbling to the surface.
In addition, bitumen is the key element of oil sands that may be converted into fossil fuels.
bitumen uses
Bitumen is one of the most practical materials that are applied widely in many fields and uses.
Road construction Mixing bitumen with sand, gravel, and crushed rock before laying it flat creates a road.
In Europe alone, there are 4 million miles of road that rely on bitumen.
Incredibly, 90 percent of the whole road network is asphalt.
Bitumen may be used to construct roadways since its adhesive nature actually binds all building materials together.
In addition, bitumen's waterproofing properties are unmatched, thus precipitation does not penetrate the road structure and just flows off.
It is essential that road surfaces remain impervious to water in order to prevent the creation of fractures, deformations, and potholes.
Paint Bitumen paint is utilized in several locations where a protective covering is required.
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