Asphalt

Gilsonite in Asphalt

Gilsonite in Asphalt is a modifier, which is intended to increase the stability of the pavement and help resist rutting often found on today’s pavements.

The mixture of Gilsonite (Natural bitumen) into road asphalt relates to a base stock composition comprising a blend of natural bitumen and a rubber latex residue. The base stock may be used alone as a paving material or emulsified to form a natural bitumen emulsion having a variety of uses. The mixture of natural bitumen enforces asphalt against rutting and thickness of the asphalt with becoming thin.

Asphalt with an adequate quality is important in different aspects:
Economic: A considerable portion of Municipalities’ budgets, their Civic Engineering and Roads and Transport sections, are spent on manufacturing, applying and maintaining asphalt. If asphalt can be manufactured to have a two to three times longer effective lifetime the costs related to asphalt maintenance would be reduced commensurately. It is also obvious it would be more economical if cheaper substances could be used as modifiers or the bitumen for asphalt.
Environmental: The bitumen that exists in asphalt, due to containing heavy aromatic substances that can be released into the environment in small amounts after rainfall, pollute the environment, specifically underground waters. This pollution can be reduced by replacing a small percentage of the bitumen with green substances such as Gilsonite (Natural bitumen) or using complexing materials.

Gilsonite as a modifier in total of or portion regarding value and cost can replace SBS polymers in asphalt modifiers. Asphalts modified by Gilsonite have a higher stability, lower shape changes, stability against low temperatures and higher resistance against water compared to asphalts void of Gilsonite. In fact, the main task of Gilsonite in this application is to improve the stability of pavements and their resistance against shape changes which increases the ability to withstand high applied load and it is used in areas under high pressure. There are almost 35 different replacements for Gilsonite, but since their ratios of cost to benefit are higher than Gilsonite’s, Gilsonite is more often used.

Goal: The produced powder is directly used in warm road bitumen, reducing the bitumen by 10-20. Micronized Gilsonite powder is used as a modifier in hot asphalt to add to its functionality, rigidity, stability and lifetime. Also, Gilsonite decreases penetration rate and increases viscosity, softening point, thermal resistance, resistance to deformation and resistance to water stripping. Also, this powder, due to having nitrogen-containing heterocyclic materials, adds friction between the road and the cars’ wheels, that, in turn, will increase the quality of driving in rain and while braking.

Advantages gilsonite in asphalt

• High strength and durability
• Superior deformation performance
• Increased resistance to water stripping
• Improved the economic performance of the road
• Improved resistance to fatigue
• Compensation for poor mixes design
• Compensation for poor aggregates

Gilsonite mixture in asphalt

• 100 parts by weight of a petroleum asphalt;
• from about 1 to about 10 parts by weight of a natural bitumen;
• from about 1 to about 10 parts by weight of a thinning reactive oil comprising at least about a 60
• percent unsaturated fatty acid content having from about 14 to 24 carbon atoms, and
• from about 1 to about 10 parts by weight of an elastomer.

t has been discovered that asphalt cement can be toughened with natural bitumen and thinned with a reactive oil. Reactive oil is an oil that contains a high content of unsaturated fatty acids. By using a reactive oil, the oil would cure or react after application of the asphalt cement to the highway, thereby allowing for a lower viscosity application by curing later to prevent rutting.

Gilsonite Additives for Concrete Construction

Gilsonite is used as a new additive to enhance the strength of concrete structures. Gilsonite’s unique features increase the process of production because Gilsonite is essentially water-proof and increases the process of water separating. When the concrete layers are formed due to pressure and temperature rise, Gilsonite makes the components of the concrete better tied to each other and the concrete is even and stronger.

Benefit of Gilsonite using in Construction:

• Create a waterproof concrete floor
• Create a better bond to create more concrete strength
• Increased waterproofing up to 98%

In order to add Gilsonite to concrete, a special grade of high-quality powder of Gilsonite should be added at the concrete slurry in a concrete mixer machines to enhance the quality and integrity of the concrete.

Gilsonite in Pavement Sealers

Gilsonite’s proven properties make high-performance solvent-based and emulsion pavement sealers dry quicker, look better and last longer. As a natural antioxidant, it allows pavement sealers to stay blacker longer. Gilsonite’s unique molecular fractions rejuvenate the pavement being sealed. The strong bonding properties of Gilsonite help weather proof the sealer.

• Natural antioxidant
• Rejuvenates pavement
• Excellent bonding properties
• Superior appearance and weathering properties

Making longer-lasting pavement helps the environment. By rejuvenating pavements with recycled asphalt instead of replacing them, there is a proven significant reduction in energy used as well as a reduction in required resources.

Packing of Natural Bitumen Lump and Powder Micronized form\

Gilsonite in lump form like rock packed in the 500~1000 kg jumbo bag

Gilsonite 200 mesh packed in the 500~1000 kg jumbo bag

Gilsonite 300 mesh packed in the 500~1000 kg jumbo bag

Gilsonite 30-40 mesh packed in the 500~1000 kg jumbo bag

Gilsonite 100 mesh packed in the 500~1000 kg jumbo bag

Gilsonite 300 mesh packed in the 25 kg pp bag

Gilsonite 200 mesh packed 25 kg multi-paper bag

Gilsonite 200 mesh packed 50 lbs multi-paper bag

Gilsonite 30-40 mesh packed pp bag on pallet

Gilsonite Bulk on vessel

Analysis of natural rock bitumen