What is emulsified bitumen?

Emulsified bitumen is a liquid bitumen in a water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsion state formed by the mechanical shearing of bitumen and emulsifier under certain process conditions. It mainly consists of base bitumen, emulsifiers, additives, and water.

The production process of emulsified bitumen involves:

1. Base bitumen preparation: First, select the appropriate bitumen as the base and heat it to a flowing state for subsequent processing.
2. Emulsifier and additive ratio: According to the type of emulsified bitumen to be prepared, add the right amount of emulsifier and additive to the water.
3. Mechanical shear stirring: Under high shear force, mix the molten bitumen with the water solution containing the emulsifier, causing the bitumen to disperse into tiny particles evenly in the water to form an emulsion.
4. Stability testing: Conduct stability tests on the emulsified bitumen to ensure its stability during storage and transportation.
5. Packaging and storage: Store the stable emulsified asphalt in containers, and properly label and store it.

Of course, emulsified bitumen has a special production equipment, emulsified bitumen plant, which can be automated according to your settings for the production and preparation of emulsified asphalt.

Features and advantages of emulsified bitumen:

(1) Improve road quality: The characteristics of emulsified bitumen determine that it can achieve effects that ordinary hot bitumen cannot easily reach. When used as a penetrating layer oil, adhesive layer oil, or in layer paving construction and spraying, the spread amount can be precisely controlled, with good penetration effect and adhesion. The bitumen content of emulsified bitumen can be adjusted arbitrarily, up to 67%, making the mix more uniform, and the bitumen film is very thin. Additionally, since the surface of emulsified bitumen carries a charge,bitumen particles can be closely adsorbed onto the surface of aggregate materials, and the emulsifier also acts as an anti-stripping agent, enhancing the bond between bitumen and stone materials.

(2) Expand the scope of asphalt use: With the continuous development of emulsified asphalt technology, many applications that were impossible with hot asphalt can now be achieved with emulsified asphalt.

(3) Save energy: Emulsified asphalt only requires one heating during production, and the asphalt temperature only needs to be 120~140°C. Although the emulsifier water solution needs to be heated and emulsification machinery consumes electrical energy, statistics show that using emulsified asphalt for road construction and maintenance can save more than 50% of thermal energy compared to hot asphalt.

(4) Save materials: Emulsified asphalt contains about 40% water, which dilutes the asphalt to a concentration of 60%. Therefore, the asphalt usage can be more accurately controlled during construction; moreover, emulsified asphalt can form a very thin and uniform asphalt film on the surface of aggregate materials, ensuring sufficient structural asphalt between materials while reducing free asphalt to an appropriate level, thus significantly reducing asphalt usage. On average, asphalt materials are saved by 15%~45%.

(5) Environmentally friendly and safe: The production process of emulsified asphalt does not require high temperatures and prolonged heating, and the construction process is at room temperature with only water evaporation, avoiding environmental pollution and scalding accidents caused by hot asphalt.

(6) Convenient to use: Emulsified asphalt can be stored for a long time at room temperature, and neither spraying nor mixing requires heating, nor is it necessary to heat the aggregate materials. It can be constructed under cool, wet, and low-temperature conditions, greatly facilitating production and construction.

Application scope of emulsified asphalt:

1. Road construction: Emulsified asphalt can be used for cold mix mixtures, micro-surfacing, slurry seals, etc., improving the efficiency and durability of road projects.
2. Roof waterproofing: Due to its excellent adhesion and waterproof properties, emulsified asphalt is suitable for roof waterproofing materials, effectively preventing leakage.
3. Bridge protection: Emulsified asphalt can be used as a protective layer on bridge surfaces, extending the service life of bridges.
4. Other fields: It can also be applied in airport runways, railway sleeper preservation, and various hydraulic engineering projects.