What Is Asphalt For Drum Mixing Plant

Asphalt is a useful ingredient that is used for road pavements. There are several processes for the production of asphalt and the Asphalt Drum Mix Plant is one of the main processes. The main feature of this plant is the controlled heating and mixing of the constituents. So what is asphalt and its ingredients? There are actually two basic ingredients in asphalt. The first are aggregates; this is a mix of crushed stone, gravel, and sand. Aggregates make up about 95% of hot mix asphalt pavement.

The other 5% is bitumen. Bitumen is the black or dark viscous material that holds the aggregates together, and is composed of polycyclic hydrocarbons (a petroleum byproduct).

For a deeper understanding of asphalt's ingredients, the elemental components of asphalt include carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen, and trace amounts of iron, nickel, and vanadium. There are actually several different types of asphalt, and they are categorized by the process used to bind aggregate with the bitumen.

What Is Asphalt?

Asphalt is the black or dark brown adhesive substance that contains bitumen as the primary constituent. Asphalts are extremely complex materials that contain saturated and unsaturated compounds. The composition differs depending on the crude oil characteristics. Asphalt normally includes 80% carbon, 10% hydrogen, 6% sulfur, and small quantities of nitrogen and oxygen.

Bitumen is a general expression used for the manufactured or natural substances that exist as solids, semi-solids, or viscous material. Bitumen that occurs in nature is obtained during the processing of petroleum. The extensive usage of asphalt is due to its outstanding characteristics of resistance to water and binding capability. The hardness and strength of the road surfaces is influenced by the asphalt capability to bind the aggregate of sand and stone together.

Components Of Asphalt Drum Mix Plant

asphalt drum mix (components) The major components of an Asphalt Drum Mix Plant are:

○ Aggregate Feeder for regulating the flow of aggregate

○ Vibratory Screen removes the over sized and unnecessary materials from feeder

○ Conveyor to receive aggregate, and feed to dryer

○ Burner

○ Drying and Mixing Drum where mixing of asphalt and bitumen is arranged

○ Asphalt Tank that is insulated for heat control

○ Mineral Filler to feed mineral to the drum.

○ Control Panel to manage the production quantity and quality

○ Fuel Tank

○ Pollution Control Mechanism

Operation Of Asphalt Drum Mix Plant

The asphalt ingredients are fed constantly to the rotating drum that delivers a regular production of the hot mix. The major hot mix elements are the aggregates, asphalt, and the mineral fillers. The aggregates are transferred by the conveyor from the feeder bins to the rotary drum. The burner removes the moisture content from the aggregate, and then the aggregate is heated to attain the desired temperatures. The hot aggregate is mixed and coated with asphalt and the filler materials. The hot mix is transferred from the drum to vehicles by the load conveyor. The feeder bins, pumping unit with asphalt tank, and the mineral filler unit are coordinated to maintain proper proportion of the hot mix ingredients. The dust is accumulated by the dust collector, and moved through the pollution control unit, before it escapes to the environment.

Asphalt Types

1. Hot mix asphalt concrete is produced under high heat and is the most durable of the asphalt types. It is generally used in high-traffic applications such as on highways and airport runways.
2. Warm mix asphalt concrete does not require high temperatures for manufacturing because of the addition of emulsions, waxes, and zeolites. While it is safer for the environment and workers and uses less fossil fuels in its production, it does not offer the same level of durability as hot mix asphalt concrete. Thus, it is primarily used for low traffic areas or for patching.
3. Mastic asphalt has less bitumen content than hot mix asphalt concrete and is commonly used for roads, footpaths, play courts, and roofing.

Regardless of its type, all asphalt needs some maintenance to provide extra protection and durability.

Asphalt Characteristics

The highway design is influenced by the asphalt characteristics that are produced by the Asphalt Drum Mix Plant. The Asphalt Drum Mix Plant ensures that the asphalt produced should be of proper specifications and suitable for pavement. Asphalt has different functional properties that can affect the conditions on the road, like tire wear, brake efficiency, and road noise. The rolling friction also converts kinetic energy into sound waves. Therefore, the temperature, feed rate, and drum mixing have to be carefully monitored to produce asphalt of the correct specifications.

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