Natural bitumen, also known as asphalt, is a naturally occurring, black, highly viscous, and sticky hydrocarbon that is found in various deposits worldwide. It primarily comprises hydrocarbons, with smaller amounts of sulfur, nitrogen, metals, and organic compounds. The formation of natural bitumen is attributed to the decomposition of organic matter, primarily microscopic algae known as diatoms, over millions of years under intense pressure and temperature conditions.
Natural asphalt plays a crucial role in various industries due to its unique properties and versatility. Its high viscosity and adhesiveness make it an ideal material for road construction, where it is used to bind aggregates, such as gravel and sand, into durable and weather-resistant pavement.
What is Natural Bitumen?
Natural Bitumen or Natural Asphalt is a dense, black or dark brown, sticky, semi-solid form of petroleum. It is a mixture of hydrocarbons, with an average molecular weight of 840 and a density of 1.05 gm/cm3. It is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. Natural bitumen is naturally occurring and is found in many parts of the world. It is used in a variety of applications, including road construction, roofing, and paving.
In the petrochemical industry, natural bitumen is often used as a feedstock for the production of asphaltenes, a type of complex hydrocarbon that finds applications in various industrial processes.
The Formation of Natural Asphalt
Natural bitumen is formed from the remains of microscopic organisms that lived millions of years ago. These organisms died and were buried in sediments on lakes and oceans. Over time, the sediments were buried deeper and deeper, and the pressure and heat caused the organic matter to decompose and form natural bitumen.
Properties of Natural Bitumen
- Natural bitumen in Ink: is widely used as the primary carbon black wetting agent for black news inks and headset and toner inks. bitukim bitumen resin competes advantageously with hydrocarbon resins and phenolic resins.
- Natural bitumen in Asphalt: We discovered that a synthetic flux oil can contain and deliver asphaltites, such as natural asphalt, more easily and readily to asphalt to improve its properties. The synthetic flux oil includes asphaltite and a carrier oil. Depending on the nature of the carrier oil, the synthetic flux oil may or may not need to be heated during mixing and incorporation into the asphalt.
- Natural asphalt in Construction: Natural asphalt cement compositions are disclosed which utilize petroleum asphalt, mineral bitumen, a reactive oil, and an elastomer. These compositions produce superior natural bitumen cement that can give low viscosity during application followed by high viscosity, toughness, and tenacity after curing on the highway.
- Natural asphalt in Foundry: an additive for foundry sand preblends providing reduced smoke and other emissions, the additive comprising a mixture of one part iron oxide as one part of a highly volatile carbonaceous material, and four parts of metallurgical coke. The additive is used as one-quarter of the foundry sand preblend, the other three-quarters consisting essentially of clays.
Natural Bitumen in Paint, Ink, Coat, Asphalt, Foundry, and Construction
Natural Bitumen is also used to make both solvent-based and emulsion pavement sealers with superior appearance and weathering properties. Iranian Gilsonite is the other brand of the mineral known as natural bitumen which is found in Kermanshah and Gilane Gharb located in Iran and also found in Utah in the United States but it can be obtained from Iran at a fraction of the price than that of the U.S.Gilsonite primarily is used in dark-colored printing inks and paints, oil well-drilling mud and cements, asphalt modifiers, foundry sands additives and a wide range of chemical products.
