Bitumen Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bitumen - Lab Report Example Each test aimed at measuring the depth of to which a standard needle would penetrate the sample of bitumen under standard conditions. There were two conditions hereunder: temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a load of 100 grams for a given time frame. The result of this test revealed the average value of depth of penetration to be 49.33 dmm. Apparently, the bitumen sample (44-60) grade bitumen. When a steel ball of diameter 9.5 mm was allowed to fall through the sample of bitumen to a depth of 25 mm, the study found 61.5 degrees Celsius as the softening point temperature. Bitumen is non-crystalline oil based viscous substance or solid, which is derived from petroleum, which exists as a by-product of oil refinery process. It is soluble in carbon disulphide and has adhesive properties. Bitumen is made up of organic liquids mixtures, which are characteristically highly viscous, sticky, and black. It is mainly composed of highly condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. In the refinery process, bitumen is often obtain in a process involving the removal of lighter fractions such as petrol, diesel, and liquid petroleum through distilling blends of crude oil in the refinery process. Bitumen is widely used in the construction industry. It is primarily used as a key constituent of most products that used in roofing and paving applications. Bitumen is also largely used in asphalt as a binder for roads. Besides, bitumen is used in paved regions such as car parks, footways, and airport runways. Natural bitumen is often formed from the oil that has already been generated and migrated into reservoirs. This oil should also have been subjected to normal processes alongside other effects. This study explored various properties of bitumen as used in the construction industry. The focus was determining the softening point of a sample of bitumen, the penetration value of three samples of the penetration grade bitumen, identifying which of the three given