Bitumen
Packed and Bulk
Bitumen is used for road construction, surfacing airfield runways and taxi tracks, hydraulic applications such as canal lining, river bank protection, dam construction and sea defenses. Bitumen Oil is also used in industrial applications like roofing, felt manufacture, printing inks, electrical cable, junction boxes, mastic for flooring, water proofing for terraces, duplex paper manufacture, etc.
Among the various types of Bitumen Oil being marketed are:
-
Viscosity Grade Bitumen – VG 10 / VG 30 & VG 40. Depending on the applications, different viscosity grade bitumen is produced. Earlier, the Industry followed bitumen classification based on penetration grades. However, due to this not being a fundamental property, the Industry switched over to VG grade
-
Crumb Rubber and Natural Rubber modified Bitumen – Crumb rubber and natural rubber are also used as modifiers in bitumen. In the CRMB variety, crumb rubber is blended with bitumen as modifier. There are three grades in this type, viz. CRBM 50, CRMB 55 and CRMB 60. Similarly, in NRMB, there are three grades, viz. NRMB 40, 70 & 120
-
Polymer Modified Bitumen – In this type, polymer is used to modify the bitumen and hence the name. There are 3 grades, viz. PMB 40, 70 & 120
-
Bitumen Emulsion – Bitumen emulsion is dispersion of bitumen in water in the presence of other additives. Most bitumen emulsions are water based and Cationic type. The main advantage of this type of bitumen is reduced pollution due to low / absence of heating, ease of handling of bitumen at room temperature and the reduced risk of burns and exposure to hydrocarbon fumes.
Specifications of various types and grades of Bitumen are given below:
Requirements of Viscosity Grade Bitumen
|
Characteristics |
VG - 10 |
VG - 20 |
VG - 30 |
VG - 40 |
Method |
|
Penetration at 25OC, 100g, 5s, 0.1 mm, min |
80 |
60 |
45 |
35 |
IS 1203 |
|
Absolute Viscosity @60OC, Poise |
800 - 1200 |
1600 - 2400 |
2400 - 3600 |
3200 - 4800 |
IS 1206 (part 2) |
|
Kinematic Viscosity @135OC, cSt, min |
250 |
300 |
350 |
400 |
IS 1206 (part 3) |
|
Flash Point (Cleveland Open Cup), OC, min |
220 |
220 |
220 |
220 |
IS 1448 (P:69) |
|
Solubility in Trichloroethylene, % min |
99.0 |
99.0 |
99.0 |
99.0 |
IS 1216 |
|
Softening Point (R&B), OC, min |
40 |
45 |
47 |
50 |
IS 1205 |
|
Tests on Residue from Rolling Thin Film Oven Test |
|
Viscosity Ratio @60OC, max |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
IS 1206 (part 2) |
|
Ductility @25OC, cm, min |
75 |
50 |
40 |
25 |
IS 1208 |
Conforms to BIS Specification IS 73:2013 for Viscosity Grade Bitumen
Requirements of Crumb and Modified Crumb Rubber Based (CRMB) – Type D
|
Sl No. |
Characteristics |
Requirement |
Methods of Test |
Ref. To Annex |
|
|
|
CRMB 50 |
CRMB 55 |
CRMB 60 |
IS No. |
|
|
i) |
Penetration at 25OC, 0.1 mm, |
< 70 |
< 60 |
< 50 |
1203 |
-- |
|
|
100 gm, 5gm |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ii) |
Softening Point, (R&B), OC, Min |
50 |
55 |
60 |
1205 |
-- |
|
iii) |
Flash point, COC, OC, Min |
220 |
220 |
220 |
1209 |
-- |
|
iv) |
Elastic recovery of half thread in |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ductilometer at 15OC, percent, Min |
50 |
50 |
50 |
|
A |
|
v) |
Separation, difference in softening point |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
B |
|
|
R&B, OC, Max |
|
|
|
|
|
|
vi) |
Viscosity at 150OC, Poise |
1 – 3 |
2 – 6 |
3 – 9 |
1206 (part 1) |
-- |
|
vii) |
Thin Film Oven Test and test on residue : |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. Loss in mass, percent, Max |
1 |
1 |
1 |
9382 |
-- |
|
|
1. Increase in softening point, OC, Max |
7 |
6 |
5 |
1205 |
-- |
|
|
1. Reduction in penetration of residue at 25OC, percent, Max |
40 |
40 |
40 |
1203 |
-- |
|
|
1. Elastic recovery of half thread in ductilometer at 25OC, percent, Min |
35 |
35 |
35 |
-- |
A |
Requirement at Sl. No. (v) is subject to agreement between the buyer and the seller
Conforms to BIS Specification IS 15462:2004 for Polymer and Rubber Modified Bitumen
Requirements of Polymer Modified Bitumen PMB (E) (Elastomeric Thermoplastic Based) – Type B
|
Sl No. |
Characteristics |
Requirement |
Methods of Test |
Ref. to |
|
|
|
PMB 120 |
PMB 70 |
PMB 40 |
IS No. |
Annex |
|
i) |
Penetration at 25OC, 0.1 mm, 100 gm, 5gm |
90 – 150 |
50 – 90 |
30 – 50 |
1203 |
-- |
|
ii) |
Softening Point, (R&B), OC, Min |
50 |
55 |
60 |
1205 |
-- |
|
iii) |
FRASS breaking point1, OC, Max |
- 20 |
- 16 |
- 12 |
9381 |
-- |
|
iv) |
Flash point, COC, OC, Min |
220 |
220 |
220 |
1209 |
-- |
|
v) |
Elastic recovery of half thread in ductilometer at 15OC, percent, Min |
70 |
70 |
70 |
|
A |
|
vi) |
Separation, difference in softening point R&B, OC, Max |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
B |
|
vii) |
Viscosity at 150OC, Poise |
1 – 3 |
2 – 6 |
3 – 9 |
1206 (part 1) |
-- |
|
viii) |
Thin Film Oven Test and test on residue : |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. Loss in mass, percent, Max |
1 |
1 |
1 |
9382 |
-- |
|
|
1. Increase in softening point, OC, Max |
7 |
6 |
5 |
1205 |
-- |
|
|
1. Reduction in penetration of residue at 25OC, percent, Max |
35 |
35 |
35 |
1203 |
-- |
|
|
1. Elastic recovery of half thread in ductilometer at 25OC, percent, Min |
35 |
35 |
35 |
-- |
A |
Requirement at Sl. No. (v) is subject to agreement between the buyer and the seller
1 Relevant to snow bound cold climate
Conforms to BIS Specification IS 15462:2004 for Polymer and Rubber Modified Bitumen
Requirements of Bitumen Emulsion – Cationic Type
|
Parameters |
RS – 1 |
MS |
SS – 2 |
|
Residue on 600 µ IS sieve, % by mass, max |
0.05 |
0.05 |
0.05 |
Viscosity by Saybolt Furol Viscometer, seconds
1. At 25°C
2. At 50°C |
--
20-100 |
--
50-300 |
30-150
-- |
|
Storage Stability after 24 hrs., %max |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Particle Charge |
Positive |
|
Miscibility with water |
No coagulation |
|
Tests on Residue |
|
Residue on Evaporation, %, min. |
60 |
65 |
60 |
|
Ductility 27°C, cm, min |
50 |
50 |
50 |
Conforms to IS :8887 – 2004.