Category Archives: Solutions

Oil bitumen heating

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Bitumen is a material requiring special storage and handling conditions. There are standards of bitumen storage, requiring constant bitumen heating in specially equipped vessels. Bitumen is a binding material and must stay that way, without breaking into water and bitumen, which may occur if bitumen emulsion is stored incorrectly.

Bitumen storage tanks can be vertical or horizontal. At this time vertical tanks are more popular: they are simple to operate, more economical and take less space. Bitumen production facilities prefer to keep their own tanks, allowing regular construction and repair works with no down time for supply or market price fluctuations.

The heating system in vertical tanks may be implemented in several ways. There are steam, gas, oil and electric low temperature heaters. The recent trend is to use diathermic oil heating of bitumen; the oil passes through a system of winding tubes integrated into the tank. Heat exchange occurs by supplying hot oil from special boilers and supplied to the tank. High flashpoint mineral oils work best for bitumen heating. Oil heaters offer gradual temperature increase and maintenance of the required temperature without the danger of overheating.

GlobeCore makes high quality oil heaters. These systems are used in many applications designed for bitumen and bitumen emulsion storage and handling. The equipment features special automation for temperature control and bitumen storage conditions.

Bitumen emulsification equipment

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Water bitumen emulsion is a highly dispersed liquid material of dark brown color, made by atomizaion of bitumen in water solution of an emulsifier. Bitumen emulsion is produced in special dispersers, ultrasonic homogenizers and colloid mills. These machines vary in the method used for emulsification of the raw material and the quality of the product.

Preparation of water bitumen emulsion involves grinding and mixing of bitumen phase in water media and further emulsification. A surfactant is required for emulsion production. The raw material is supplied to special mechanical devices: wet grinding mills. These devices grind bitumen to microscopic particles and disperse it in the water solution of the emulsifier.

Since the grinding effect is less pronounced than the impact action of ball crushers, therefore such devices do not use large particles of the raw materials. The wet grinding mills produce highly stable dispersed systems: colloid solutions of two or more materials, which practically do not mix and do not react chemically.

Bitumen emulsification devices are usually superfine grinding mills. Bitumen and water phase pass between the rotating rotor and stationary stator with teeth for creating turbulence in the stream. The main component of the colloid mills is a disperser, creating a highly stable dispersed system by mechanical destruction or emulsification of the raw material.

Water bitumen equipment comes in to kinds: batch or continuous production. The continuous production systems are more popular for bitumen dispersion.

GlobeCore manufactures high quality UVB-1 and UVB-2 plants for production of water-bitumen emulsion, as well as polymer modified bitumen emulsion.

Bitumen emulsion storage tank

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The emulsion is a rather specific material, requiring special attention and adherence to standards both at the stage of production, and transportation and storage. In storage the emulsion requires special temperature, protection from direct sunlight and monitoring of the material in storage.

Water-bitumen emulsion is a highly dispersed dark brown liquid, made by special plants (colloid mills, dispersers, homogenizers and mixers) by atomization of bitumen phase in water media with surfactant emulsifier.

Since water bitumen emulsion is an elastic binding material, its storage is complicated, because of the need for constant heating and stirring of the material is specially equipped vessels. Heaters are usually integrated into the walls of the storage tank and allow the material to stay in the required condition. Heating may be performed by steam, oil or low temperature electric heaters. Bitumen storage tanks can be horizontal or vertical. The most popular are vertical tanks, which are easier to use, more economical and take less space.

Bitumen emulsion is slightly aggressive, so the internal surface of the tank should be coated with anti-corrosion layer. The cylindrical metal vessel for storage should be thoroughly cleaned, remaining bitumen should be removed and the tank should be tightly closed to prevent contamination and evaporation.

Modern bitumen and water-bitumen emulsion tanks are reliable and feature advance design, which allows to observe the standards of material storage. Additional systems, automation and sensors simplify operation of the storage tanks.

 

Bitumen emulsion storage and transportation technology

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Bitumen is supplied to road construction companies mostly by oil refineries, located in large industrial centers, which can be located far from the areas of consumption. Bitumen production is seasonal and peaks in spring and summer.

All of the above leads to the need of transporting the binding over significant distances, stockpiling and storage and subsequent preparation for production of asphalt mix.

Bitumen emulsions are stored in special horizontal or vertical cylindrical vessels.

Bitumen in horizontal tanks can be not only stored, but also heated, using a coil heater, located inside the tank. Modern bitumen tank technology allow to adhere to the strict standards of bitumen and bitumen emulsion storage, as well as to simplify the control of the product thanks to automated systems and sensors tracking changes in the physical and chemical properties of bitumen.

When bitumen emulsion is in storage, water evaporates form the surface of the product and crust forms. This crust prevents further water evaporation. This fact makes storage of emulsion in vertical vessels preferable to horizontal, because when the level of emulsion changes, the crust does not change its geometry, unlike that in horizontal cylindrical tanks.

The internal surface of the tank must be treated against corrosion due to the slight chemical aggressiveness of bitumen emulsions.

The tank must also be insulated, equipped with electric heating with automatic temperature regulation and control with a sensor installed in the tank.

If bitumen is stored in consumption tanks at high temperature, the change of its properties is insignificant. This is due to the fact that the surface of bitumen exposed to oxygen is rather small compared to the large volume of the material. However, if bitumen circulates and is supplied by a pipeline to the top of the tank to the surface of stored bitumen, the change can be significant. This occurs because the surface of bitumen supplied by the pipeline is rather large and oxidation can occur.

It should be noted that the most widely used method of bitumen heating is steam and electric heating, as well as bitumen boilers with heating tubes. The use of the above methods are in some cases not reasonable in terms of economic efficiency and quality.

To prevent, or at least to reduce bitumen aging, certain measures aimed at more gradual and mild heating of the binding material should be taken at the stage of preparation for asphalt mix production, including reduction of preparation time and minimizing exposure to air. These issues may be solved by improving heating, pumping and storage of bitumen.

Some of the reasons for bitumen aging, being subjective, may be eliminated technologically by rational design of transportation, storage and preparation equipment. Other reasons are objective and stem from the very nature of bitumen.

Bitumen transportation is strictly regulated by national rules and regulations. Storage and transportation types, filling methods, markings and safety are clearly defined. Approval depends on compliance of the transport and storage vessels to the regulations. The main land transports for bitumen are rail and truck tanks, canisters of various volumes, as well as metal or polymer barrels.

Bitumen produced by refineries can, in certain conditions, be stored at higher temperatures for significant time (5 days and more). This fact defines the flow of polymerization process, which is one of the aging factors, changing the chemical composition of the material. A weak point of this method of transportation is unloading of the supplied material. This process supposes heating and subsequent pumping to bitumen storage. The traditional technologies cannot prevent water and contaminants from entering the material. Unloading methods are, mostly, energy intensive.

The natural conclusion is that the currently widespread transportation of bitumen by railroad or trucks is by far not the most efficient. Transportation and storage facilities bear a cost. Some of the product cannot be unloaded and adds to the costs as well. A new approach is the use of 1 cubic meter cardboard containers. Bitumen is loaded into such containers by the refinery which are then transported to intermediate storage warehouse. Bitumen is shipped to customers as needed, the customers only have to unpack and heat the bitumen. All bitumen is easily recovered from the container, and the containers themselves are recycled. This method does not replace, but adds to the existing transportation infrastructure, eliminating only the unnecessary stages between the producer and the consumer.

Multiple bitumen heating cycles during loading and unloading, which cannot be avoided in “traditional” transportation, not only require consumption of additional energy, but also promote accelerated oxidation of the material with adverse effect on its quality. As a result, the use of bitumen which has been heated multiple times, reduces pavement durability from 4 – 5 to 2 – 3 years. The use of cardboard containers, however, allows to only melt bitumen once, immediately before production of the mix. This allows to fully preserve bitumen properties which has a direct positive effect on pavement, extending its lifetime, and therefore reducing road maintenance costs.

The secrets of German roads – emulsifield bitumen and traction

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It is well known that investment into maintenance and servicing of roads in the West is several times that of the eastern countries and the nations of the former USSR. For example, a nation with the best and most expensive roads, Germany, spends around US$ 3.9 million per 1 kilometer of highway, which in Russia the cost of making the same road time is about US$ 1.3 million, and US$ 1.12 million in China.

Where does the wide difference come from, if road construction materials compliant with the western standards are all purchased in the world market?

Beside the fact that Germany, being the example of construction quality regulations, makes multilayered road pavement with support, drain, damping and super-strong asphalt, the country uses only the highest quality of the best grades. E.g. bitumen emulsions, a material which reinforces each of the possible layers of the new road and increases the quality of the product has not only be known but used for 70 years.

Bitumen emulsion, however, may be compared to bitumen, which is sometimes referred to as tar, as blended fuel with source material. Bitumen is not soluble in water. However, in the process of mixing it with water with addition of certain stabilizers, acids, solvents, emulsifiers and heat, the result is a substance many times more durable, reliable and reasonable to use, that the original.

Bitumen emulsion is better not only due to high efficiency and wide scope of application, but also due to direct savings.

First, coming back to paving bitumen emulsions, it should be noted that the whole process of building quality roads is based on the use of bitumen blends, not just heated tar. Each layer of the road is treated by bitumen emulsions. They are used in the process of asphalt laying, added to gravel and aggregate, used for preparation of tack coat, saturation of asphalt top layer, road repairs etc.

Apart from their use in road construction, bitumen emulsions are used to protect buildings from water, as well as for roofing construction and repairs.

UVB type bitumen emulsion preparation systems with production capacity ranging from 1 to 10 cubic meter per hour are in demand in the international market of advanced machinery. This plants are designed for production of various types of bitumen emulsions: anionic, which are mixed with materials of alkaline nature, and the versatile cationic emulsions which can interact both with acids and alkalis.

The process of bitumen emulsion production is a complicated and innovative process. There are several differences from the simple neat bitumen, which characterize emulsions as a better and more efficient material.

Here are some of the advantages and economic opportunities when using bitumen emulsions in construction.

The first and the most obvious difference is the need to heat bitumen before operation, whereas bitumen emulsion is used without prior heating, which saves on heating equipment maintenance costs.

Another advantage is the presence of water blended with bitumen. Absence of organic solvents reduces the risk of fire in the closed premises of construction companies and the toxic hazard for the people working with emulsions in poorly ventilated rooms.

The presence of water also promotes better adhesion of asphalt pavement. When water from the bitumen emulsion saturates the asphalt and then evaporates, layers become tightly connected, much tighter than with tar alone.

Water based materials are recognized as more environmentally friendly by the international expert institutions. The use of such materials reduces the emission of hazardous substances into the atmosphere and consequently eliminates the risk of environmental violations and the resulting fines for the companies.

In this article the question is posed: what it is that makes our roads expensive. It seems, the raw materials and substances which local companies use for road construction,  are compliant with the international quality standards. Our manufacturers of construction equipment, material and even plant for production of protective materials, such as bitumen emulsions, offer advanced products on par and in many cases better than the imported ones.

Therefore, if possible, there should be savings on construction materials, development of the existing components for better road quality, use of own machinery for production of such materials, which are most compliant with the international standards and individual calculation for a given project.

Technology: General Conditions

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The acceptance of our quotation implies the acceptance of the following terms and conditions. Modifications of or deviations from them must be agreed in writing.

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1. VALIDITY

Unless previously withdrawn, our quotation is open for acceptance within the period stated therein, or when no period is stated within ninety days only from the date thereof. Any order or orders arising from this quotation shall be subject to our confirmation in writing or by facsimile.

2. DOCUMENTS

Except where intended to serve as instructions for use or advertising, information in relation to our products and their operation remains our property and may without our consent not be utilized or copied, reproduced, transmitted or communicated to a third party. Illustrations, catalogues, colours, drawings, dimensions, statements of weight and measurements etc. made available by us as printed information are only meant to present a general idea of the goods to which they refer: they are approximate only and therefore not binding on us.

3. TRADE TERMS

Unless otherwise agreed, the Incoterms 2000 issued by the International Chamber of Commerce shall apply to the trade terms mentioned in our quotation.

4. DESPATCH

Full forwarding instructions must be sent with the order. The times given for dispatch are estimated and not binding; they have to be reckoned from the date of our written confirmation of the order or, where a Letter of Credit has been asked for, from the date of the bank’s advice that it has been opened, and, if agreed, confirmed, in conformity with our requirements. We reserve the right to dispatch the ordered goods as and when they are ready for dispatch; the goods may be sent in partial shipments. Unless otherwise agreed, the goods shall remain our property until paid for in full.

5. FORCE MAJEURE

In the event of the occurrence of force majeure we shall be entitled to suspend delivery of the goods for the duration of the prevention or delay caused by such force majeure, without being held responsible for any damage resulting there from to the purchaser. In that case the times given for delivery and the rendering of services shall be extended for the period of prevention or delay caused by such force majeure.

In the event of the period of prevention or delay caused by force majeure having lasted for a period exceeding twelve consecutive months, then and in that case we shall be entitled to cancel the order to the extent not yet executed without being liable to any indemnity whatsoever towards the purchaser. The expression “force majeure” shall mean and include any happening or event beyond our reasonable control – whether foreseeable or not at the time of our order confirmation – in consequence of which we cannot reasonably be required to execute our obligations.

Such circumstances include but are not restricted to: acts of God, war (whether declared or not), civil war, insurrection, seizure, fires, floods, strikes, epidemics, governmental regulations, embargoes, non-availability of any permits and/or licenses and/or authorizations required and defaults of our suppliers or sub-contractors caused by any such circumstances referred to in this Clause.

6. PAYMENT

Any payment to us will constitute a valid discharge only in so far as a bank account payable on first demand is credited in our favour for the amount concerned, irrevocably and free of charge, in the agreed currency and in any case in freely convertible and transferable funds.

7. LETTER OF CREDIT

Any Letter of Credit established in our favour shall be opened and confirmed by banks, which have adopted the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits issued by the International Chamber of Commerce.

8. TESTS

Our goods are carefully inspected and, where practicable submitted to standard tests at the factories before dispatch. If special tests in the presence of the purchaser or his representative are required, these must be specified by the purchaser when giving the order and shall, unless otherwise agreed, be made before dispatch; all costs connected with such tests will be charged extra. In the event of any delay on the part of purchaser in attending such tests after fourteen days notice that the goods are ready to be tested, the tests will proceed in the purchaser’s absence and shall be deemed to have been made in his presence.

9. INSTALLATION

Unless expressly stated otherwise, the installation of the goods supplied by us is not included in our quotation.

10. GUARANTEE

We guarantee to the purchaser the good quality of the goods supplied for the period of one year against all defects or failures which appear therein under proper use and maintenance, and arise solely from faulty materials or workmanship, it being understood that:

(a) Such guarantee does not cover damage sustained by normal wear and tear or any damage arising in consequence of negligence or improper manipulation of the goods or parts thereof, or of improper storage in the event of the goods wholly or partly being stored by the purchaser previous to installation, use or resale to ultimate buyers;

(b) Such guarantee shall not include separate deliveries of spare parts and components to which a specific manufacturer’s guarantee applies.

Our liability under this guarantee shall be to supply to the purchaser, free of charge, replacements of such parts as have proved to have such defects as set out here above, provided BiodieselMach is informed through E-mail or by facsimile within fourteen days after the defects have revealed; the defective parts shall become our property as soon as they have been replaced.

Compliance with our guarantee undertaking mentioned above or with any agreed modification thereof shall be considered to give full satisfaction to the purchaser; any claim of the purchaser for compensation or for dissolution of the contract shall be excluded.

11. LIABILITY

We shall not be liable for any consequential or other damage nor for any loss of whatsoever nature and howsoever arising other than those for which we have expressly assumed liability herein.

The United Nations Treaty, adopted in the framework of UNCITRAL on April 11, 1980 in Vienna regarding Contracts for the International Sale of Goods [C.I.S.G.] shall not apply.

LABORATORY SCALE FOAMED BITUMEN PLANT type UVB-L

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The laboratory scale foamed bitumen plant type UVB-L is designed for obtaining foam bitumen samples.

The unit can be operated by organizations, producing asphalt concrete mixtures, as well as road construction and repair organizations.

The unit is designed for indoor operation.

The design of the unit ensures normal operation in ambient temperatures from +5 0С to +40 0Сand relative humidity 70%.

foamed_bitumen foam_bitumen(2)

Specifications

Item

No

Parameter

Value

1.

Min capacity of the mixer, bitumen, l/hour

600

2

Water consumption, l/hour: min

max

6

30

3

Air consumption, l/hour: min

max

0

100

4

Bitumen pressure, max, bar

16

5

Water pressure, max, bar

6

6

Air pressure (to mixer) max, bar

6

7

Air pressure (to controls)

min, bar

max, bar

4

6,3

8

Bitumen temperature, 0С min

max

140

160

9

Water temperature, 0С min

max

20

60

10

Oil temperature (for heating), 0С min

max

120

180

11

Rated power, kW,

Bitumen pump

Oil pump

Heaters

Control

Total

3

2,2

5,1

0,1

10,4

12

Power supply voltage at 60 Hz V,

440

13

Bitumen tank volume, l

20

14

Water tank volume, l

20

15

Heating oil volume, l

10…15

16

Dimensions, mm,

length

width

height

1250

970

1490

17

Weight, max, kg

400

foamed_asphalt

Bitumen Modification Equipment UMB-4

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APPLICATION

The bitumen modification unit UMB-4 (referred to as the unit) is designed to produce polymer-modified bitumens. The bitumens are in accordance with all applicable standards.

Modified bitumen is used in road and bridge construction and repair.

The unit can be used by asphalt and road top producers, roofing and building hydro-insulation companies.

The unit can be used outdoors as well as indoors in a suitably ventilated space.

The design of the unit provides for operational readiness under temperature range from +5С to +40С.

SPECIFICATIONS

No

Parameter

Value

1

Maximum capactiy, m³/hour,

4

2

Amount of polymer per 1 m³ of bitumen, kg

10…25

3

Operation mode

Cyclic/interchange

4

Number of reactors

2

5

Reactor volume, m³

2

6

Rated power, kW

-mill

45

-bitumen feed pump

5,5

-feed/discharge pump

11,0

-mixer drive

15

-heat-conductor heater total power

100

-heat conductor feed pump

4

-control system

0,5

-total

181

7

Dimensions, mm,

-length

5000

-width

2200

-height

3000

8

Weight, kg

ХХХХ

SET OF DELIVERY

No

Name

Amount, pcs

1

Bitumen modification system UMB-4, assembled.

1

2

Documentation:

-Manual for UMB-4

1

-Manual for 2ТРМ controller

1

*According recipe

As per customer request, these units can be equipped with a wide range of electronic devices to simplify the process of emulsion production.

Control of all operations is displayed on a screen, fitted on the electric control panel.

Flow diagram UMB-4

bitumen_modification_shem

 

Bitumen Emulsion System UVB-L

Solutions

Application

Water-bitumen/ laboratory system UVB-L is designed::

  • to prepare laboratory parties of bitumen emulsions;
  • to develop the recipe of water-bitumen emulsion depending upon the solution of bitumen emulsion components likewise the area of application.

The construction of the machine provides its up state when operating complies under the temperature from 5C to40C

Specifications

№

 Parameters

 Value

1

 Batch emulsion capacity, dm3

20

2

 Pressure of the bitumen supplied in blender, MPa

1,6

3

 Bitumen pressure, °С

140-160

4

 Blend pressure, °С

40-60

5

 Set power consumption, кW

6

6

 Power circuit voltage, V

380/220

7

 Dimensions,mm
– length

1450
– width

700
 – height

1300

8

 Mass, kg

235

Set of delivery

№

 Designation

 Quantity

pcs.

1

 WawWater-bitumen/laboratory system UVB ready-fitted

1

2

 Removable components under transporting:
-sprinkle

1
– bearing drawing SI-1-05.000

4
– gearbox UR-2

1
— high-pressure hose d 20

5 m
— fitting

1

3

 Documentation:
– certificate with operational manual, system UVB/L

1
– Certificate, flowmeter ТRМ

3
– operational manual, flowmeter ТRМ

3

As per customer request, these units can be equipped with a wide range of electronic devices to simplify the process of emulsion production.

Control of all operations is displayed on a screen, fitted on the electric control panel.

Containerized Bitumen Emulsion Plant UVB-1

Solutions

Application

Bitumen-emulsion system UVB-1 (water phase) is designed to produce anion and cation bitumen emulsions that in road construction are used:

  • to prepare old road base for asphalt-concrete;
  • for surface treatment of the roads;
  • for making thin protective coatings;
  •  for patch road repairs;
  •  to ensure water-tightness of buildings and other constructions;
  • for construction and repairing of soft roofs.

The unit is used at enterprises that produce road concrete mixtures.

It is designed to be operated indoors as well as outdoors under a shelter.

The construction of the machine provides its up state when operating complies under the temperature from +5C.to +40 C

Specifications

Primary specifications are stated in table1

Table 1

 Parameter

Value

1 Capacity, m3/h – batch operation

 – continuous operation

8

16
2 Bitumen consumption, m3/h

10,5
3 Water consumption, m3/h

5-7*
4 Solvent consumption, dm3/h

50-350*
5 Acid consumption, dm3/h

50-150*
6 Emulsifier consumption, dm3/h

to 50*
7 Bitumen input pressure, MPa

0,2
8 Bitumen mixer pressure, MPa

1,4
9 Liquid mixer pressure, MPa

0,2
10 Bitumen input pressure, C

140-160
11 Water input temperature, C

40-60
12 Emulsion maximum raise height, m

10
13 Set power consumption, kW

38

14 Dimensions, mm:

14.1 Bitumen mixing unit

length

width

height

2300

1000

1100

14.2 Liquid mixing unit

length

width

height

1600

1300

1500
15 Power circuit voltage, V

380220
16 Mass, kg

1990

*According recipe

As per customer request, these units can be equipped with a wide range of electronic devices to simplify the process of emulsion production.

Control of all operations is displayed on a screen, fitted on the electric control panel.