General
- Asphalt is a sticky, black and
highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude
petroleums and in some natural deposits. It is most commonly modeled
as a colloid, with asphaltenes as the dispersed phase and
maltenes as the continuous phase . In U.S. terminology, asphalt is
the carefully refined residue from the distillation process of
selected crude oils. Outside North America, the product is called
bitumen.
- Asphalt can be separated from
the other components in crude oil (such as naphtha, gasoline and
diesel) by the process of fractional distillation, usually under
vacuum conditions. A better separation can be achieved by further
processing of the heavier fractions of the crude oil in a
de-asphalting unit, which uses either propane or butane in a
supercritical phase to dissolve the lighter molecules which are then
separated. Further processing is possible by "blowing" the product:
namely reacting it with oxygen. This makes the product harder and more
viscous.
Process
- Crude petroleum is separated
into its various fractions through a distillation process at the oil
refinery. After separation, these fractions are further refined into
other products which include asphalt, paraffin, gasoline, naphtha,
lubricating oil, kerosene, and diesel oil. Since asphalt is the base
or heavy constituent of crude petroleum, it does not evaporate or boil
off during the distillation process. Asphalt is essentially the heavy
residue of the oil refining process.
- The refining process starts by
piping the crude petroleum from a storage tank into a heat exchanger
or tube heater where its temperature is rapidly raised for initial
distillation. It then enters an atmospheric distillation tower where
the lighter and more volatile components, or fractions, vaporize and
are drawn off through a series of condensers and coolers. It is then
separated for further refining into gasoline (considered a "light"
distillate), kerosene (considered a "medium" distillate), diesel oil
(considered a "heavy" distillate), and many other useful petroleum
products.
- The heavy residue from this
atmospheric distillation process is commonly called topped crude. This
topped crude may be used for fuel oil or further processed into other
products such as asphalt. Vacuum distillation may remove enough high
boiling fractions to yield what is called a "straight run" asphalt.
However, if the topped crude contains enough low volatile components
which cannot be economically removed through distillation, solvent
extraction—also known as solvent de asphalting—may be required to
produce asphalt cement of the desired consistency.
Technology
-
Asphalt technology have played a key role in
expanding the highway network, as well as in expediting pavement
maintenance and rehabilitation operations with minimal delays to the
traveling public. The goal in developing highways has been and will be
to achieve ultimate comfort, safety, and efficiency for highway users
in a cost-effective way.
-
Recent developments in asphalt emulsion technology
have focused on the ability to control the particle size and size
distribution of the emulsion during the emulsification process, and
consequently to influence the emulsion properties. Static mixer
technology (SMEP = static mixer emulsion process) is fully
commercialized and holds the possibility of adjusting the particle
size distribution of the emulsion and so controlling
physical and performance properties of the emulsion.
Market
-
Asphalt - Market Size, Market Share, Market
Leaders, Demand Forecast, Sales, Company Profiles, Market Research,
Industry Trends. The US asphalt market will reach 38.8 million tons
based on new highway and road spending and a recovery in non
residential building activity. Modified bitumen and built-up roofing
will pace gains in the higher value roofing segment. Emulsified
asphalt will benefit from the use of in-place recycling, micro
surfacing and chip seal paving.
Global demand for asphalt in roofing applications
is expected to approach 12million metric tons. Growth in the
Asia/Pacific region, the Africa/Mid east region and Eastern Europe
will help offset a deceleration of demand in the large US market.
Building construction activity in developing countries
will generate opportunities for asphaltic membrane roofing.
The latent demand for asphalt across the states or
union territories and cities of India. The smallest cities have few in
habitants. This long-run function applies despite some of these states
or union territories having wealth; current income dominates the
latent demand for asphalt. So, latent demand in the long-run has a
zero intercept.
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