Asphalt emulsion and its production

GlobeCore produces high quality UVB type equipment for production of high quality asphalt emulsion.

Asphalt emulsion is a colloid solution, produced by dispersing bitumen phase in water media with the addition of a surfactant (emulsifier). The emulsifier is chosen depending on the purposes of the emulsion; it defines the quality and specifications of the product. For road construction, either anionic or cationic surfactant can be used.

Unlike anionic asphalt emulsions, which only mix with alkaline minerals, the cationic emulsions are more universal and interact well with mineral materials of both alkaline and acidic nature.

Since asphalt emulsion consists of bitumen and water, the more precise technical term is water-bitumen emulsion. Such material has low viscosity and good elasticity. Emulsion based on bitumen offers significant advantages over other organic binding materials. The most important of these are the reduced environmental impact, safety and economy. Asphalt emulsions are mostly used in road construction, but can also be applied for water-proofing of various buildings, roofing and other construction work.

Still, road construction is still where asphalt emulsions are used the most. The emulsions are valued for low viscosity, high adhesion and good elasticity. It is intensively used on gravel, gravel and concrete base as film creating binding, to ensure correct conditions for further treatment.

Water-bitumen emulsion is mostly used in road construction for creation of tack coat and surface treatment of road top, for patch repairs and permeation of road material. A significant parameter of asphalt concrete mix based on asphalt emulsion is its break down time. Asphalt emulsions are divided into three types: fast, medium and slow breakdown emulsions. This parameter defines the use of the emulsion and its interaction with the material.

To improve adhesion qualities, asphalt emulsions are modified by elastomeric polymers. GlobeCore produces UVB-2 type plants for modified asphalt emulsion production.