Understanding and Using Asphalt Emulsions

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Understanding and Using Asphalt Emulsions

• Wade Miller
• Marketing Manager
• Western Emulsions, Inc.

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Petroleum Asphalt Flow Chart
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Emulsions are used in every phase of asphalt road
construction
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Asphalt is a semi-solid road building material
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Asphalt must be cut back or heated with fuel.
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Asphalt and water can be mixed in a process
called emulsification
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Milk is an emulsion of butterfat droplets in water
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Asphalt emulsion is a liquid form of asphalt
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Emulsion is a dispersion of minute oil droplets
in water
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Water-Continuous phase Asphalt-Dispersed phase
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Dissimilar liquids like oil and water usually
separate
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Emulsion break or cure is designed to vary
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Chemical Emulsion Types

• Cationic
• Anionic
• Non-ionic

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Emulsion grades

• RS (Rapid Set)
• MS (Medium Set)
• SS (Slow Set)
• QS (Quick Set)

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Emulsion Designations
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The asphalt particle in an emulsion droplet is
about 3 microns in diameter. A strand of human
hair is about 9 microns in diameter.
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Virtually all aggregates are negative.
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Cationics adhere to virtually all aggregates
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Asphalt droplets coalesce into an asphalt film.
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Factors Affecting Stability

• Asphalt
• Water
• Chemical Additives
• Handling

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Asphalt emulsions are stabilized by

• Thermal energy
• Mechanical energy
• Surface active chemicals

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Emulsion Breakage

• Evaporation
• Chemical
• Surface contact
• Temperature

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Tests attempt to predict field performance
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Common Test of Emulsified Asphalt
Water Resistance Test Cement Mixing Test Particle
Charge Test Sieve Test Distillation Test Specific
Gravity Test
Saybuilt-Fural Viscosity Test Settlement
Test Storage Stability Test Demulsibility
Test Coating Ability and
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Field Performance
Test
Viscosity Settlement Sieve Particle charge pH
Handling Storage Stability Storage Stability Chemi
cal type Chemical type
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Factors Affecting Viscosity

• Asphalt content
• Temperature
• Type of manufacture
• Handling

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Emulsion Handling

• Storage
• Heating
• Pumping
• Blending
• Avoiding contamination

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Storage

• Vertical tanks
• Gentle agitation
• Heating

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Heating

• Avoid boiling
• Avoid hot spots
• No live steam

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Pumping

• Positive displacement
• Low speed
• No air leaks
• Positive suction head

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Avoid Contaminants

• Hard water
• Oil distillates
• Different emulsions
• Rust
• Silty water

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Special Handling Guidelines for Asphalt Emulsions

• Never mix anionic and cationic emulsions
• Do not dilute rapid setting (RS) emulsions with
  water
• Vertical tank storage is preferable so as to
  reduce the area available for surface skimming
• Care is required in heating asphalt emulsions in
  order to avoid local overheating
• Avoid entrapment of air in emulsion transport in
  order to prevent foaming
• Use proper pump type with adequate clearance
  between casing and rotors.
• Always add water to an emulsion when diluting

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Consult your emulsion supplier Wade
Miller Western Emulsions, Inc. (949)
337-5133 wade_at_westernemulsions.com