What are the various tests performed on bitumen emulsion?

bitumen emulsion suppliers

Roadways are essential in any country or nation. They enable people and goods to travel through a wide range of terrain and arrive at their destination without incident. Imagine not having a road and having to walk through the fresh ground simply to get anywhere.

While roads are vital for the growth and development of a nation, the quality of roads is an important factor in deciding the infrastructure of the nation. Bitumen emulsion is the primary ingredient involved in the development of roads and hence it is important for bitumen emulsion suppliers to check the quality of bitumen being used in the laying of roads.

Bitumen is subjected to a variety of tests to determine its consistency, gradation, viscosity, temperature susceptibility, and safety provided by the bitumen emulsion suppliers.

A variety of tests are available to evaluate the characteristics of bitumen emulsion. The following tests are commonly used by bitumen emulsion suppliers and manufacturers to evaluate various qualities of bituminous materials.

  • Test for penetration
  • Ductility examination
  • Softening point examination
  • Test for specific gravity
  • The viscosity test
  • Fire and flash point tests
  • Float examination
  • Water content analysis
  • Heating test failure

4 Most important tests conducted by Bitumen emulsion suppliers are as follows:

  1. Penetration Test

It determines bitumen hardness or softness by measuring the depth in tenths of a millimeter that a typical loaded needle will penetrate vertically in 5 seconds. The equipment and testing technique had been standardized by bitumen emulsion suppliers.

It should be noted that any mistake in pouring temperature, needle size, weight placed on the needle, and test temperature has a significant impact on penetration value. A lower penetration grade is desirable in hot conditions. 

  1. Ductility Test

Ductility is a characteristic of bitumen that allows for significant distortion or elongation. Ductility is defined as the length in centimeters that a standard sample or briquette of the material can be extended without breaking. 

Factors such as pouring temperature, test temperature, pace of pulling, and so on influence the ductility value. The bitumen emulsion suppliers generally consider a minimum ductility value of 75 cm.

  1. Softening Point Test

The temperature at which the bitumen achieves a specific degree of softening under the prescribed test conditions is referred to as the softening point.

The bitumen sample is put on a steel ball, and the liquid medium is heated at a rate of 50 degrees Celsius per minute. When the softened bitumen comes into contact with the metal plate at a certain distance below, the temperature is recorded by the bitumen emulsion suppliers.

Higher softening points, in general, imply lesser temperature vulnerability and are preferable in hot areas.

  1. Specific Gravity Test

The specific gravity of bitumen is defined as the ratio of the mass of a given volume of known content bitumen to the mass of an equivalent amount of water at 270 degrees Celsius. 

The density feature by bitumen emulsion suppliers is very useful in paving works to categorize a binder. Bitumen is typically weighed, however when used with aggregates, it is converted to volume using density values.

The chemical makeup of bitumen considerably influences its density. Specific gravity rises when aromatic type mineral impurities increase. Bitumen has a specific gravity ranging from 0.97 to 1.02.

About Us:

Bedrock is one of Mumbai’s leading bitumen emulsion suppliers, offering bitumen emulsion and other bitumen-based products for road building. Many road builders prefer our high-quality road construction products, such as bitumen emulsion. As one of the most reputable bitumen emulsion suppliers in Mumbai, we aim to provide our customers with high-quality goods.

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