STORAGE STABILITY (EMULSIFIED ASPHALT)

Significance:
- detects the tendency of the asphalt globules in the emulsion to “settle out” during
storage - measures the permanence of the dispersion as related to time
Apparatus:
1. Graduated cylinder with cover (500 mL)
2. Glass pipet (60 mL)
3. Balance (500 g to within ± 0.1 g)
4. Beaker (1000 mL)
5. Oven

Procedures:
1. Place a 500-mL representative sample in each of the two glass cylinders. Stopper the
cylinders and allow them to stand undisturbed, at laboratory air temperature 21 to
27°C, for 24 h.
2. After standing for this period, remove approximately 55 mL from the top of the emulsion
by means of the pipet or siphon without disturbing the balance. Thoroughly mix each
portion.
3. Weigh 50.0 ± 0.1 g of each sample into separately weighed 1000-mL glass or
aluminum beakers, each beaker having previously been weighed with a 6-mm diameter
by 178-mm glass rod. Adjust the temperature of the oven to 163 ± 2.8°C. Then place
the beakers containing the rods and sample in the oven for 2 h. At the end of this
period remove each beaker and thoroughly stir the residue. Replace in the oven for 1
h, then remove the beakers from the oven, allow to cool to room temperature, and
weigh, with the rods.
NOTE —Care must be taken to prevent loss of asphalt from the beaker through foaming or
spattering, or both. Also, the placing of beakers and emulsion samples in a cold or warm
oven and bringing the oven and sample up to a temperature of 163°C together is
permissible. If preferred, preliminary evaporation of water may be accomplished by careful
heating on a hot plate, followed by oven treatment at 163°C for 1 h.

4. After removal of the top sample, siphon off the next 390 mL (approximate) from each of
the cylinders. Thoroughly mix the emulsion remaining in the cylinders and weigh 50 g
into separate weighed 1000-mL glass or aluminum beakers.
5. Determine the asphaltic residue of these samples in accordance with Step (3).

Calculation

c−a
% Residue = x 100
b−a

Storage Stability, % = % Residue (bottom) - % Residue (top)

Where:
a = mass of beaker, empty, g
b = mass of beaker + sample, g
c = mass of beaker + residue, g
Example:

Top Bottom
a. Mass of beaker, empty,g 236.2 234.2
b. Mass of beaker + sample, g 286.3 284.3
c. Mass of beaker + residue, g 267.7 265.9

Solution :
c−a
% Residue = x 100
b−a

267.7−236.2 265.9−234.2
% Residue (top) = x 100 % Residue (bottom) = x 100
286.3−236.2 284.3−234.2

% Residue (top) = 62.87 % % Residue (bottom) = 63.27 %

Storage Stability, % = % Residue (bottom) - % Residue (top)

Storage Stability, % = 63.27 – 62.87 = 0.4 %