Bitumen has different types and categories according to its origin. Based on its source and origin, bitumen divided into three categories: natural, petroleum asphalts, and coal tar pitches. 1- Natural bitumen or native asphalts are a type of bitumen that has formed naturally over time as a result of climatic conditions and is used without the need for distillation; their compositions and properties vary widely. 2- Coal tar Pitches are brittle, dark-colored solids produced during the distillation of coal tar. Their new fractured surface is shiny, and when heated, they melt with a rapid decrease in viscosity; however, their melting point is dependent on the manufacturing process. 3-Petroleum Asphalts are bitumen solubility sfragments derived from petroleum. These are solid and semi-solid bitumen derived directly from the distillation of petroleum or through additional processes such as air blowing. They are utilized more frequently and have more applications than the other categories.
Based on their applications, bitumen varieties can be divided into two groups: road construction or thin diluted bitumen , building bitumen, and (roof insulator) or hard bitumen. Approximately 90 percent of manufactured bitumen is used for road construction, while the remaining 10 percent is utilized for insulating purposes. The majority of bitumen utilized in Iran is employed in road construction and municipal road coating. Bitumen for road building is frequently categorized according to its penetrability. The penetration rate of bitumen material indicates its strength and hardness, which is defined as the number of penetration units of one vertical standard needle in one bitumen sample, at a certain period and weight on the needle, and at a specified temperature. Typically, the rate of bitumen penetration is measured at 25 degrees Celsius using a 100-gram weight and 5 seconds. Common bitumen used in road construction are 40/50, 60/70, and 80/100. Typically, bitumen is derived through the distillation of petroleum. This bitumen is often referred to as petroleum asphalt or distillery bitumen.
Bitumen is the product of two stages of petroleum distillation in a distillation tower. During the first step of distillation, light components such as gasoline and propane are extracted from crude oil. This technique is performed at pressures close to that of the atmosphere. In the second stage, heavy chemicals such as diesel oil and kerosene are eliminated. This technique is carried out at pressures close to the vacuum. Last but not least, a mixture of solid particles known as asphaltene floats in a Malton-like fluid. This type of bitumen, known as natural bitumen , is more durable than petroleum asphalts because it is derived from the gradual transformation of petroleum and the evaporation of its evaporating constituents over a long period of time. This bitumen can be found in its natural state in the environment (lake bitumen) or extracted from mines (mineral bitumen).
Natural bitumen deposits emulsion
different types of natural bitumen
Except for the natural state of bitumen, this useful substance is artificially produced and categorized in different types with different specifications. Bitumen has a range of uses, but approximately 90 percent of its need is for road construction and maintenance either directly or through asphalt. Paving grade, bitumen cutback bitumen, and bitumen emulsions are essential bitumen types for road applications. Paints, waterproofing, sealants, land and marine pipe coatings, adhesives, enamels, electrical products, flooring materials, and a number of other non-road applications utilize hard, oxidized, and blown grades of asphalt in addition to mastic asphalt. Specifications for bitumen differ in terms of safety, solubility, physical properties, and durability. Therefore, understanding the performance of natural bitumen asphalt in service requires an intimate knowledge of the material's physical qualities. Utilizing established testing procedures, bitumen is graded. As mentioned, there are numerous types of bitumen, each with its own set of characteristics, standards, and applications based on the requirements of the industry that consumes it.
Three main and common categories of petrochemical bitumen are: 1) Blown Bitumen In the final stage of refining, hot air is blown to pure bitumen to produce blown asphalt. Hot air with a temperature of 200-300 degrees Celsius is blown into a bitumen container via porous tubes in this method. In this process, hydrogen atoms in bitumen hydrocarbon mix with oxygen in the air, resulting in polymerization via water formation. Blown bitumen has a low penetration rate and a high softening point as compared to pure bitumen. This bitumen is used to make roof sheets, vehicle batteries, and coatings. 2) Bitumen (Mixed or Solution) A mixture of bitumen and a suitable liquid is referred to as mixed bitumen (for example kerosene or gasoline). This bitumen is liquid at room temperature or can be converted to liquid with a little heat. Mixed bitumen is utilized in various macadam and coating asphalt. The speed at which it clots or hardens is determined by the type of liquid. Bitumen hardens faster in gasoline, for example, due to the rapid rate of evaporation of gasoline. This type of bitumen is known as Rapid curing bitumen. Bitumen that has been dissolved in kerosene is known as medium curing bitumen, while bitumen that has been dissolved in gas oil or fuel oil is known as slow curing bitumen. The viscosity rate of liquid bitumen is also used to classify it. 3) Bitumen Emulsion The bitumen emulsion is created by combining bitumen , water, and an emulsion-making ingredient. The ingredient used to create the emulsion is typically an alkali salt of an organic acid or an ammonium salt that charges bitumen particles. As a result of their induction charges, the bitumen particles expel each other and float in the form of balls one hundredth to a thousandth millimeter in diameter. The use of such bitumen reduces environmental pollution, and because no oil or combustible solvents are used, the risk of igniting during transportation is reduced. If you are willing to purchase any of the different types and grades of bitumen, our sales executives are ready to help you out. Just contact them and let them know your inquiry. They will answer all your questions and guide you properly.