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Emulsion Technology

by Frits de Jonge
Shell Global Solutions, Singapore
Cutbacks and Emulsions largely used in
Spray Applications:

• Primer coats
• Tack coats
• Surface Dressing
(or Chip Seal, or Surface Seal, or Spray Seal, or
Surface treatment, or ....................)

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Function of Surface Treatment

- waterproof the pavement

- provide dust free surface

- provide wear resistant surface

- provide skid resistant surface

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Prime Coatings

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 Surface Dressings

• Single surface dressing

- Spray and chip

• Multiple surface dressings

- Sandwich (chip/spray/chip)
- racked in (spray/chip/chip)
- triple (spray>chip>spray>chip
- cape seal (single seal/slurry seal)
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 Spray Seal Design
Aggregate Spread Rate - Over Spread

Minimum Binder Contact

Correct Spread Rate

ALD
Maximum Binder Contact
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 Surface Treatments
Performance problems

• Chipping loss
- Short term
- Long
term
-
Localised
• Smooth surface
- polishing ,
embedment
• Bitumen rich surface Shell Global Solutions
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 Slurry Seal

• Versatile
• Quick & easy
• Rapid trafficking
• Preventive maintenance
• Corrective maintenance
• Aesthetic value
• Economical

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Details slurry seal / microsurfacing equipment

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 Slurry Seal Techniques
- 1st generation, simple chemistry systems
slow break, slow set, Low Traffic Intensity
open to traffic > 7h

- 2nd generation, complex chemistry

slow break, but fast set, Medium Traffic Intensity
open to traffic 2h

- 3rd generation, special complex chemistry, polymer

modified system, slow break and fast set
microsurfacing for High Traffic Intensity (Expressway)
open to traffic < 1 h

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 Bitumen Emulsions - Key Aspects
Critical for Emulsion Critical for Binder

stability emulsifiability
viscosity fatting up
pumpabilty/spraying crack arresting/cohesion
breaking rate adhesion
film formation / coating durability
adhesion
Binder Options

paving grades
premium binders
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Binder Adhesion / Cohesion

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 Bitumen emulsion production
145 - 160 °C ~50 °C
water
bitumen
emulsifier
(acid, additives)

Production parameters
~80 °C
• colloid mill type
• gap width
• rotor speed (6000, 9000 rpm)

• rotor/stator (grooved, smooth)

bitumen emulsion • temperatures

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 Some typical cationic emulsifier systems
basic formula Emulsion class
Diamine R - NH - (CH2)3 - NH2 Rapid
Polyamine R - (NH - (CH2)3)n - NH2 Medium/Slow

Amido amine R - CO - NH - (CH2)3 - NH2 Medium/Slow

N - CH2
Imidazoline R- C Rapid/Medium
N - CH2
H

Quartenary CH3 + Medium/Slow

ammonium R - N - CH3
R
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Bitumen emulsion - role of the emulsifier

• Reduce interfacial tension (dynamic interfacial tension)

• Facilitate droplet formation and break-up
• Reduce coalescence

• stabilisation by electrostatic repulsion

• electrical double layer (-potential)
• presence of micelles

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Bitumen emulsions approach
 Bitumen manufacturing
 From crude oil to emulsion grade bitumen
 emulsifiability, stability
 Emulsion production
 Settling, viscosity, breaking, adhesion
 consistancy in quality
 Application on road
 Coating, breaking, stiffness build-up
 Fit-for-purpose in local situations
» Traffic density, load, weather conditions,
local aggregates, dustiness aggregates
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 Bitumen Emulsion - Sedimentation

• Based on stokes formula: v = g d2 (b - w) / 18 c

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 Bitumen emulsion viscosity
• Particle size distribution
viscosity
 n(d)

d
m
• Packing density
bitumen content 




   m

 
   1
0  • Effective volume fraction

  
m ‘trapped’ water phase

Dougherty-Krieger
• Salt content, interfacial tension, polarity

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 Water content in bitumen emulsion
• Dean-stark distillation - total water content
• Differential scanning calorimetry - continuous phase water
100

melting peak
total water
50
Heat Flow Endo Up (mW)

0
crystallisation peak
'trapped' water
-50

-100

crystallisation peak
'free' water
-150

-200
-55 -45 -35 -25 -15 -5 5 15 25
Temperature (°C)
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 Model for bitumen emulsion setting
Phase 1

Aggregate is wetted with emulsion still intact. Emulsion droplets

and aggregate particles can move freely. Emulsion can be distributed
to obtain homogeneous mixture and good coating.

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 Model for bitumen emulsion setting
Phase 2
The emulsion droplets start to coalesce.
The droplets are still well recognisable.
The emulsion droplets are fixed on the
surface of the aggregate and cannot
move freely anymore.

Phase 3 The conglomerates have coalesced and no

individual emulsion droplets canbe seen.
The emulsion is broken and the bitumen
phase has separated from the water.
The aggregate should be fully coated
with good adhesion. This state is the
“cheesy” state. Mixes are crumble-like.

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 Model for bitumen emulsion setting

Phase 4
The islands of bitumen phase are linked
and start to produce cohesion. This is
the first phase in which the bitumen
forms a continuous phase. The danger is
that water can become trapped.

Phase 5
In this last phase the bitumen film is
continuous and full adhesion and cohesion
are developed. It will take some time
before all the water has been evaporated.

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Adhesion and cohesion build-up

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 Breaking behaviour of the emulsion

ABRASION
RESISTANCE

IREC SMS210 EFT MFT

GBI 20 30 40 50 60
150 100
70
140 EFT (80-20)
90
130 Bitumen Y
80
120 80 Bitumen X
70

% Coalescence
110
60
100
90 50 EFT 50
90

80
40

70 30
60 20
50 10
40 0
0.1 1 Hazardous Zone
10 100
60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
S MS 210 (m%)
% Bitumen

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 Bitumen emulsion applications
balance in properties

application In service

Surface dressing
bitumen film formation abrasion resistance
emulsion spraying no settling,no run-off
stability fast breaking,adhesion

Asphalt mixes
mix workability voids,stiffness
emulsion slow breaking fast breaking,coating,adhesion

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 Emulsion Product Services
Selection of base bitumen

Selection of effective, efficient emulsion recipes

Production of high quality ‘fit for purpose’ emulsion

- specification (storage stability, viscosity)

- fast breaking, e.g. tack coating
- slow breaking, e.g. primer sealing, cold mixes
- special, e.g. slurry seal

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 Emulsion Product Services
Product application ‘the code of practice’

- emulsion storage and handling advice

- recommendation on application conditions
- performance recommendation and testing
field samples
aggregate analysis
(gradation, sand equivalent)
emulsion/aggregate mix testing
(coating, breaking, cohesion,
wet track abrasion)

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