TESTS ON BITUMEN
Separation Difference in softening point
Code: This test is done as per IS 15462: 2004.
Procedure:
- i) Place the empty tube, with sealed end down in the rack. Heat the sample carefully until sufficiently fluid to pour. Care should be taken to prevent localized over-heating. Pass the molten sample through IS sieve of 600 micron mesh size. After through stirring, pour 50g in to the vertically held tube. Fold the excess tube over two times, and crimp and seal.
- ii) Place the rack containing the sealed in a 163±5 deg oven. Allow the tubes to stand undisturbed in the oven for a period of 24±4 h. at the end of period, remove the rack from the oven, and place immediately in the freezer at 6.7±5 deg, taking care to keep the tubes in vertical position at all times. Leave the tubes in the freezer for a minimum of 4h of solidify the sample completely.
- iii) Upon removing the tube from the freezer, place it on a flat surface. Cut the tube in to 3 equal length portions with the spatula and hammer. Discard the centre section, and place the top and bottom portions of tube into separate beakers. Place the beakers in to a 163±5deg oven until the bitumen is sufficiently fluid to remove the pieces of aluminium tube.
- iii) After thoroughly stirring, pour the top bottom samples in to appropriately marked rings of ring and ball test. Prepare the rings and apparatus according to details given in IS 1205. The top and bottom sample for the same tube should be tested at the same time in the softening point test.
Uses:
To determine the softening point of bitumen.