What is Bitumen?
Asphalt is a sticky substance that is black or dark brown. It is obtained from the processing of crude oil or natural pitch.
People use it in various industries including road construction, insulation, protective coatings as well as building.
Tar is also useful because of its high resistance to water, heat as well as chemicals.
The pitch is a hydrocarbon material that dissolves in carbon sulfide and carbon tetrachloride.
If there is a hydrocarbon in tar, it can have unique characteristics such as high adhesion, impervious to moisture & water as well as industrial applications.
According to the origin of bitumen production, this material is also divided into three main categories including natural pitch, petroleum tar and distillate bitumen.
Modes of Tar
Pitch is solid at ambient temperature. If you raise the temperature, this material will also become liquid.
Types of Pitch
Oil pitch
Petroleum pitch is also produced from distillation of crude oil. People distill crude oil in two phases to produce the oil tar.
Natural Tar
If individuals evaporate crude oil, they can produce natural pitch.
This type of pitch is more durable than distilled tar. Natural bitumen is mined in lakes and mines.
Blown Tar
In this way, people blow air into the tar of a hot refining to remove some impurities.
Blown pitch has a lower penetration degree than pure tar, but it is softer and less responsive to temperature changes.
Tar Solution
Tar is a mixture of tar and a suitable solvent such as kerosene or gasoline. It is liquid at ambient temperature.
This type of pitch gets stiff in gasoline very quickly. Because gasoline has a high evaporation rate, so people call it rapid curing.
If you dissolve tar in oil, it becomes stiffer later. People call it medium-curing asphalt.
Pitch Emulsion
If we mix tar, water and an emulsifying material, pitch emulsion will be produced.
The amount of emulsifying material is very low and is about 0.3 to 0.5% and the water of this type of bitumen is about 30 to 50 percent too.
Natural Bitumen Applications
The most important applications of natural tar are as follows :
Agricultural, recycling industry, road & road construction as well as transportation industry, construction Industry, fuel, insulating equipment, coke Industry as well as isolation industries such as oil and gas.
Natural Bitumen Extraction Methods
The main methods for natural pitch extraction are as follows:
Open Pit Mining
In this way, people extract natural tar from the ground surface. This is the simplest method of natural pitch extraction, but it can damage the environment.
This method is one of the surface mining methods that people use it to metal, copper and iron mines.
Underground Mining
In this way, humans extract natural pitch from underground mines.
This method is more complicated and expensive than the open method, but it take less damage the environment.
Bitumen Refinery Methods
There are three main methods for refinery tar. They are as follows:
Vacuum Distillation
In this method, persons heat crude oil under vacuum to separate lighter products such as gasoline and diesel from it.
The remainder of the process is refinery tar.
Air Blowing
In this method, persons blow air into the tar to remove some impurities from it.
This method helps to increase the quality of the refinery pitch.
New Methods of Bitumen Refining
In recent years, people have introduced new methods for refinery tar.
It helps to improve its quality and reduce its environmental impact
Bitumen Refining Stages
People purify tar in a few steps. They are as follows:
Preheating
At this stage, individuals also heat the refinery pitch.
Separation of Impurities
Humans also remove impurities such as water and suspended particles from it.
Doping
In this stage, humans evaporate the solvent to increase its viscosity.
Viscosity Control
Individuals adjust the viscosity of refinery tar at the desired level.
Factors Affecting the Quality of Bitumen
Natural pitch has higher quality than refinery tar.
The quality of tar depends on various factors including crude oil or natural tar, refining method, operating conditions, high softness point, low penetration as well as feed type.
Different applications of refined bitumen are as follows:
Road construction & pavement
Pitch is also one of the most important materials in the construction & maintenance of roads and other pavement surface.
People use tar to connect stone materials and create a smooth and resistant surface due to its high adhesion and water resistance.
Insulation
Tar is a proper insulation for buildings and other structures due to its high resistance to water and moisture.
Bitumen resistance to water damage to buildings. Humans use pitch in insulating roofs, walls and floors of buildings.
Protective Coatings
This material is a suitable protective coating for pipes, tanks and other metal structures. It also protects structures against rust and corrosion.
Construction Industry
Other applications of pitch in the construction industry including brick construction, tar sealant, production of rubber, paints and adhesives.
The Impact of Bitume Extraction and Refining on the Environment
The environmental impact of tar extraction as follows:
Air pollution, soil pollution, water as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
Air Pollution
When people extract tar, they release gases and particulate matter into the air .
It can also cause breathing problems and other health problems.
Soil and Water Pollution
They release gases and particulate matter into the air, if persons extract tar. It can harm the environment and human health.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
When persons extract bitumen, they can release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the air that it could cause global warming and climate change.Follow us on Instagram