Bitumen’s quality graded as “asphalt cement”, “straight run bitumen”,

“penetration grade bitumen”

Straight-run bitumen: Most common refining process used to produce
bitumen is straight reduction of crude oil using vacuum distillation.
Bitumen produced in this process is referred to as straight-run bitumen.
Asphalt cement: Asphalt concrete is a combination of two primary
ingredients:
a) Sand or well-graded aggregate; 90–95% (w/w) of total mixture
b) Asphalt cement(binder) ; 5–10% (w/w)
Cutback bitumen: Cutback bitumen is a range of binders that are
produced by blending penetration grade bitumen and a hydrocarbon
solvent, such as paraffin or mineral turpentine. Volatile diluent is added
to reduce the viscosity of the bitumen.
Types of cutback bitumen:
1) Rapid curing (RC): Bitumen blended with Naptha or Gasoline
(Petrol)
2) Medium curing (MC): Bitumen blended with kerosene
3) Slow curing (SC): Bitumen blended with high boiling point gas oil.
Bitumen emulsion: Bitumen emulsion is a liquid composed of three
liquid materials: water, bitumen and an emulsifier. When bitumen
emulsion is applied on aggregate, water evaporates leaving behind
bitumen droplets. Average size of bitumen droplet is about 2𝜇.
Average content of bitumen (binder % wt) ranges from 40 to 70.
Bitumen emulsion is classified into following types based on setting time:
a) Slow setting emulsion: This type of emulsifier are relatively stable.
A special type emulsifier is used to slow water evaporation.
b) Medium setting emulsion: Emulsion bitumen will dry within 2 hours
after applying it on the desired surface.
c) Rapid setting emulsion: After spraying on surface, bitumen and
water separation occurs and bitumen sticks to the surface rapidly.
Based on surface charge bitumen emulsion are two types:
1) Anionic
2) Cationic
In case of silica rich aggregates, surface of aggregates is electro negatively
charged, so, cationic bitumen emulsion is used which helps in better
spreading and binding of bitumen with aggregates.

Composition of bitumen:
Bitumen includes four main ingredients as follows:
1) Naphthene (polycyclic aromatic compounds)
2) High molecular weight phenols and carboxylic acids (produced by
partial oxidation)
3) Saturated hydrocarbons (influence softening point)
4) Asphaltenes (phenols and heterocyclic compounds)

Elementally composition:
Element % Weight
Carbon 80
Hydrogen 10
Sulphur 6
Asphaltenes 5-25
Nickel and vanadium are present as <10 ppm.

Properties of Bitumen:
Penetration Grade
Properties Unit 40/50 60/70 80/100 180/200
min max min max min max min max
Penetration @25℃, 0.1
40 50 60 70 80 100 180 200
100 g, 5 Sec mm
Softening Point R & B ℃ 52 60 48 56 45 52 37 43
Flash Point (COC) ℃ 250 - 250 - 250 - 200 -
Ductility at 25℃ cm 100 - 100 - 100 - 100 -
 Loss on heating at
% wt - 0.2 - 0.2 - 0.5 - 0.5
163℃ for 5 hr
Specific Gravity % 1.01 1.05 0.99 1.04
Solubility in CCl4 % wt 99 - 99 - 99 - 99 -

Spraying Temp. For Bitumen

Type Grade Temperature (℃)
30 38-57
70 57-71
Cut-Backs R.C. or M.C. 250 77-94
800 99-113
3,000 118-132
60-70 151-161
Penetration Grade Bitumen 80-100 151-161
200-300 138-151
Emulsion: As necessary for uniform spraying and satisfactory
penetration
Testing Method:
Sl. No. Test Name ASTM
1 Specific Gravity D70
2 Softening point(Ring & Ball) D36
3 Flash & Fire point (COC) D92
4 Solubility in C2HCl3 D2042
5 Penetration D5
6 Ductility D113

1) Specific Gravity:
a) Stoppered pycnometer shall have a capacity of 24 to 30 mL and
shall weigh not more than 40 g. Weigh the mass of empty
pycnometer, A.
 b) Allow the pycnometer with & without dm water to remain in the
water bath for a period of not less than 30 min to calibrate at
constant temp. Weigh mass, B (pycnometer + water).
c) Heat the sample below softening point (110°C) for maximum
60mins, until it become sufficiently fluid to pour into pycnometer.
d) Pour enough sample into the clean, dry, warmed pycnometer to fill
it about three fourths of its capacity. Weigh the mass C,
(pycnometer + sample).
e) Fill the pycnometer containing asphalt with freshly boiled distilled
or deionized water and keep in water bath for minium 30 mins.
Weigh the mass, D (pycnometer + sample + water).
𝐶−𝐴
Relative density= (𝐵−𝐴)−(𝐷−𝐶)
Density= Relative density × Water densitytest temperature
2) Softening point: Softening point is the temperature when bitumen
bitumen becomes fluid. The higher the softening point, lower its
sensitivity to temperature variations. The softening point of ordinary
bitumen varies from 60 to 70.
3) Flash point: Flash point is the lowest temperature when resulting
flammable gases of bitumen surface ignites in contact of flame.
Cleveland open-cup (Capacity 20 ~ 250℃) is one of three methods
(open, closed, tag) for determining flash point of a petroleum product.
First, test cup made of brass(Cu+Zn) is filled to a certain level with a
portion of bitumen.
Then, temperature is increased rapidly and then at a slow, constant rate
as it approaches the theoretical flash point.
Fire point: This apparatus also used to determine fire point which is
considered to reach when produced flame stay at least five seconds.
4) Solubility in C2HCl3 (trichloroethane): Heat sample under 110℃ to
make it fluid. Trichloroethylene is toxic and more flammable.
Whatman Grade 934 AH glass microfiber filter (1.5 μm pore retention)
a) Take 2g of sample in a 125-mL Erlenmeyer flask. Weigh mass B.
 b) Add 100 mL trichloroethylene and stir continuous to dissolve
sample completely.
c) Stopper the flask set aside for at least 15 min.
d) Wet glass fiber pad with small portion of trichloroethylene.
e) Wash insoluble matter in crucible with solvent until filtrate is
substantially colorless, then apply strong suction to remove
remaining solvent.
f) Place crucible in oven at 110±5°C for at least 20 min.
g) Cool crucible in a desiccator for 30±5 min. Repeat drying and
weighing until constant mass.
𝐶−𝐴
%Insoluble= ( )×100
𝐵
𝐵−(𝐶−𝐴)
%Soluble= ( )×100
𝐵
where: A = mass of crucible and filter,
B = mass of sample,
C = mass of crucible, filter and insoluble material.
5) Penetration test: Penetration test on bitumen is done by using a
penetrometer. It determines hardness of bitumen, by measuring the
depth in tenths of millimeters (1/10th) to which a standard needle under
the influence of a 100-gram load penetrates into bitumen vertically at
25 ° C for 5 seconds. For hot climate lower penetration grade is used
i.e 30/40 and higher penetration grade i.e 80/100 is used for cold
climate. The lower the degree of penetration is, the harder the bitumen
will be. If Bitumin grade is 80, penetration value will be;
1
Penetration value= ×80 =8mm
10
6) Viscosity: The higher the bitumen viscosity is, the higher solid
properties it shows. Viscosity of bitumen is measured using the Saybolt
Furol machine or by the kinematic method.
7) Weight loss on heating: Weight loss of bitumen at high temperature
is due to evaporation of a part of its oil and its petroleum compounds.
Weight loss of bitumen is measured at 163° C within 5 hours.
 8) Ductility: The property of deformation or elongation of bitumen is
called ductility measured in cm. Bitumen will elongate before breaking
when it is pulled at 5 cm/min speed in 1 cm2 cross-section.
Storage and handling: Storage time of bitumen emulsion ranges from
few days to 6 months depending upon percentage of Bitumen added while
production.
Procedure(softening point R&B)
The solid sample is taken in a Petri dish and melted by heating.
The liquidified sample is poured into ring(brass made; have 6.4 mm
depth).
The sample kept for one hour to solidify.
Two steel ball is placed on top of sample. A grooved plate is placed in
heating bath.
As temperature rises, the balls begin to sink through rings carrying a
portion of softened sample.
The temperature at which the balls touch the bottom plate determines
the softening point in degrees Celsius.