Difference between bitumen 60/70 and 80/100
The experts claim that bitumen 60/70 and bitumen 80/100, the two types mentioned above, are both widely used and have several applications. Now, we wish to investigate the variations between them. Let's first discuss bitumen in general. Bitumen is the petroleum industry's first product. It is colored black and is made up of millions of different chemical components.
It is an extremely viscous substance that is created as a byproduct of processing acceptable crude oils. It doesn't fluctuate. We could now get a query about asphalt and how it differs from bitumen. Asphalt is made from a mixture of bitumen and other materials. Its main use is in the construction of roads, and depending on the application location, its bitumen percentage may vary from 5 to 10 percent. To maximize its potential as a material, asphalt is supplemented with fibers, fillers, and fine chippings.
Bitumen and mineral mixtures found in their natural condition are referred to as "natural asphalt". Tar is a similar commodity that may be called into question in this case. Byproducts known as tars are produced when natural resources such as hard coal, lignite, or lumber are thermally processed.
At temperatures higher than 1000 degrees Celsius, however, the breakdown process produces carcinogenic chemical substances. However, bitumen is produced from crude oils via a distillation process that is often done in a high-vacuum or vacuum-like atmosphere. Here, temperatures may go as high as 400 degrees Celsius.
Because bitumen's chemical components are naturally occurring, there is no chance of their changing throughout the production process. In Europe, bitumen is the only substance that has ever been approved for use in the construction of roads. This is due to bitumen's complete safety for both people and the environment, as opposed to tar.
Bitumen 60/70 :
Bitumen 60/70 is a grade of refinery bitumen, with a penetration degree ranging from 60 to 70. A distillation tower's vacuum aeration produces bitumen 60/70. This kind of bitumen is almost entirely utilized in the building and road construction, insulation, and bitumen production sectors to create liquid bitumen. Bitumen 60/70 is a better choice when it comes to the climates in which it should be applied. We must pay attention to the processes used to assess this kind of bitumen after it has been created if we are to fully understand the idea of grade 60/70 bitumen.
This grade of bitumen was named after the findings of a penetration test conducted on bitumen. By using this testing method, we puncture a bitumen sample with a conventional needle. Next, we determine how quickly the needle can pierce the bitumen and calculate how hard the bitumen is. Using this testing method, we are able to classify ordinary bitumen into more than five groups. Asphalt 30/40, asphalt 40/50, asphalt 60/70, asphalt 80/100, and asphalt 100/120 are some of these grades.
The term bitumen 60/70 denotes a bitumen penetration amount ranging from 60 to 70 millimeters, as indicated by the figures 60 and 70. A bitumen 60/70's intrinsic characteristics and attributes define its quality. In addition to the penetration test, many other tests are carried out to determine the 60/70 bitumen composition, including ductility, heat loss, viscosity, softening point, and flash point. Some of these belong to businesses that sell 60/60 bitumen.
Serving their customers first is their top focus. The melting point and the flash point are two examples of these temperatures. The ASTM D36 method states that bitumen 60/70 has a flash point of 250 degrees Celsius and a softening point of 49 to 56 degrees Celsius. Because bitumen 60/70 is reasonably priced and of good quality, it is quite popular in countries in Southeast Africa and India. It is well known that 60/70 bitumen is an affordable substitute that reduces costs without sacrificing quality. This is achieved by fixing cracks that develop during maintenance and enhancing the final asphalt product's performance.
Another use for 60/70 bitumen is the production of polymer-modified bitumen. In the process of making PMBs, we add certain polymers to the bitumen 60/70 to improve its quality. The elasticity, brittle point, and softness of the bitumen are all enhanced by these polymers, which are necessary for better asphalt mixture performance.
Bitumen 80/100
It is customary to speak about bitumen which is classified as road-grade bitumen. Standard penetrating bitumen, or bitumen grade 80/100, is a kind of bitumen. Outstanding properties allow bitumen grade 80/100 to be used in the production of asphalt and road coating. This kind of bitumen is mostly used in the manufacturing of hot asphalt mixture. Petroleum bitumen, which may be refined into penetrating grades like 80/100 bitumen, is produced by distilling crude oil.
This kind of bitumen is produced using the leftover leftovers from the distillation tower in its most basic form. Permeable bitumen is divided into two categories based on the amount of penetration and its degree of softness. The kind of bitumen may also be determined by the degree of penetration; for instance, 80/100 bitumen has a penetration degree that varies from 80 to 100.
The most common kind of bitumen used for road coating is 80/100 bitumen, which has the thermoplastic property that allows the bitumen viscosity to increase in low temperatures and decrease in hot temperatures.
Now that the aforementioned explanations have been given, we would want to return to our original query, which is to ascertain the distinction between bitumen that is 60/70 and bitumen that is 80/100. The difference between 60/70 and 80/100 is the value of their penetration. We must consider the fact that 80/100 bitumen has a softer penetration than 60/70 bitumen to make an educated decision when choosing between the two. For this reason, bitumen 80/100 is often used in cold climates.