Bitumen Emulsion Production. Bitumen emulsion was first made in Europe in the beginning of the 20th century. With time, new equipment was developed to improve efficiency of production and the quality of the product.
At present, bitumen emulsion production is a complex physical and chemical process which requires special equipment.
Advantages of bitumen emulsions
There are currently two competing materials in road construction and repairs: bitumen and bitumen emulsion. Using hot bitumen cannot achieve the required quality of construction, due to a number of reasons:
- poor adhesion;
- uneven distribution of the binder across the surface;
- the need to remove moisture from the treated surface;
- no way to adjust material parameters according to the conditions of work;
- high power consumption to maintain the temperature;
- hazards due to the high bitumen temperature (160 ºС).
On the other hand, bitumen emulsions offer the following advantages:
- full adhesion to the surface;
- even filling of all pores and depressions;
- capability of application on a wet surface;
- adjustment of material parameters according to operation requirements;
- low power consumption;
- ability to use in temperatures from 30 to 70 ºС.
Bitumen emulsion production
Two phases are required for bitumen emulsion production: bitumen and water. Bitumen phase includes bitumen and special additives (softeners, plasticizers). Water phase contains water, emulsifiers, acid and stabilizers. Both phases enter the colloid mill, where bitumen is pulverized to micron sizes. Bitumen particles are suspended in water. In some cases, latex can be injected into the stream to make polymer-modified bitumen emulsion.
Depending on the required emulsion type, the proportions of water and bitumen phase may vary. It is mostly 50/50 or 70/30 (the first number indicates bitumen content).
Application of bitumen emulsion
Bitumen emulsion can be used for:
- tac coating;
- surface treatment of existing roads;
- replacement of current asphalt road top (recycling).
Bitumen emulsion production equipment
The following equipment is needed to make bitumen emulsion:
- a colloid mill, portioning devices for water and bitumen phase and controls;
- emulsion storage tanks;
- bitumen storage tanks;
- other material storage tanks;
- piping, pumps etc.
GlobeCore offers a unique bitumen emulsion plant, the UVB-1 type unit.
This equipment allows to:
- make high quality bitumen emulsion regardless of the quality of incoming bitumen by adding plasticizers, adhesion additives and thinners;
- produce all types of emulsions: CRS, CMS and CSS-1,2, as well as anionic emulsions of the corresponding types, including subtype h;
- dilute the blend concentrate with water directly in the unit;
- produce emulsions fully compliant with ASTM D 2397-98 and D977-98.
The UVB-1 are compact, simple in operation and servicing and are safe to operate (safety interlocks are in place).
