#bitumens

bitumen: Crude oil is a thick, flammable liquid that is dark brown or dark green or black, and is found in the upper layers of parts of the Earth's crust. Oil contains a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons. With the development of drilling technology in the mid-nineteenth century and the technology of oil distillation and refining in the late nineteenth century and its use in non-fuel cases, an astonishing leap occurred. So that today the petrochemical industry has a fundamental role in meeting the general needs of society.

Most scientists consider the origin of oil formation to be plants and organic organisms in the early oceans.

The remains of animals and plants that lived in the sea millions of years ago have been buried for millions of years by mudflats and sediments and have been converted to oil under high pressure and temperature, lack of oxygen and for a long time. Proper reservoir, large amounts of oil accumulate in the oil pond.

Crude oil is oily and comes in solid (petroleum) and liquid forms. It is sometimes called all forms of hydrocarbon oil. If oil accumulates in a place, it is called an "oil pool". From a total of several oil basins, an "oil field" is obtained. The porous rock containing oil is called "reservoir rock".

Crude oil is usually divided into two criteria: specific gravity and sulfur content. Oils that have a lower specific gravity, viscosity and density are called light oils and oils that have a higher specific gravity, viscosity and density are called heavy oils. Oils with less sulfur are also called sweet oil and oils with more sulfur are also called sour oil. Extraction, handling and refining of light and sweet oils are easier and less expensive, and more products such as gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and jet fuels derived from kerosene, and high quality diesel can be obtained from them, so these types of oils Most are preferred by refineries and have higher prices.

Oil, raw or unprocessed, is not very useful and has little use if it comes from the heart of the earth. Although sweet oil (low viscosity as well as low sulfur) was used unrefined in steam powertrains, its gases and other lighter solutions usually accumulated in the fuel tank and caused an explosion. Apart from the above, in order to use oil, in order to produce other products such as plastics, foams, etc., crude oil must be refined. The refinery products are in light to heavy order:

Liquefied natural gas (LPG)

Petrol

Naphtha is a cut between gasoline and kerosene and its properties are a combination of the two

Kerosene and related jet fuels

Diesel and oil and diesel fuels in general

Furnace oil known as fuel oil or black oil

Bitumen is a black, pasty material used in moisture insulation and asphalt construction. There are different types of bitumen, each of which has a specific application. Bitumen is a derivative of oil.

Bitumen is a black to dark brown hydrocarbon that dissolves completely in carbon sulfide and carbon tetrachloride. Bitumen is solid at ambient temperature. But as the temperature rises, it becomes a paste and then liquefies. The important use of bitumen is due to the existence of two important properties of this material;

Bitumen is usually obtained from the distillation of crude oil. Such bitumen is called petroleum bitumen or distilled bitumen. Petroleum bitumen is the product of two stages of crude oil distillation in the distillation tower. In the first stage of distillation, light materials such as gasoline and propane are separated from crude oil. This process takes place at a pressure close to one atmosphere (units). In the second stage, heavy compounds such as diesel and kerosene are extracted. This process takes place at a pressure close to vacuum. Eventually, a mixture of very fine solid particles called asphaltene remains, which is immersed in a grease-like fluid called malton.

However, some types of bitumen are obtained in nature due to the gradual conversion of crude oil and the evaporation of its volatiles over many years. Such bitumen is called natural bitumen and it is more durable than oil bitumens. Such bitumen may exist purely in nature (lake bitumen), such as Behbahan Bitumen Lake in Iran and Tirinidad Lake in the United States, or it may be mined.

Petroleum bitumens

Petroleum bitumens are solid and semi-solid bitumens that are obtained directly from the distillation of crude oil or by other additional operations such as blowing air. Residual or heavy oil bitumen is the distillation of crude oil. The amount of crude oil bitumen varies from zero to more than half of it. In addition, bitumens obtained from different sources can have many differences. Therefore, bitumen refineries must carefully choose their crude oil to ensure the quality of bitumen.

Direct extraction of bitumen from crude oil

In an interview with Shana, Fatemeh Sadeghi pointed out that the Fuel Consumption Optimization Company in the Working Group on Public Transportation Development and Fuel Consumption Management is obliged to cooperate with the Ministry of Roads and Transportation to limit the use of soluble bitumen in rural roads and use To prepare emulsion bitumen as a substitute for soluble bitumen, it was reminded: for this purpose, the plan "Review of emulsion bitumen standards and completion and compilation of instructions and regulations for its use instead of soluble bitumen" in the management of energy optimization in the transport sector Done. Accomplished.

According to him, in line with the implementation of this project, while forming a working group of representatives of organizations related to this issue, including the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, Road Research Center, Housing and Urban Development, National Petroleum Products Distribution Company, Pasargad Oil Company, Jay Oil Company, Industry Research Institute Oil, the Organization of Municipalities and Rural Affairs, etc., and the management of energy optimization in the transportation sector, by holding several meetings, issues, problems and obstacles to replace emulsion bitumen with soluble bitumen were discussed.

Sadeghi, referring to the full capacity of emulsion bitumen production in the country, according to the representatives of Pasargad and Jay oil companies, as well as the lack of legal barriers to its use in the Ministry of Roads and Municipalities, stated: From the knowledge of production and consumption, the relevant instructions and regulations, education and review of problems and obstacles of implementation and application were identified as the main problem.

He stated that in this project, while introducing emulsion bitumens and their different types, standards, instructions and regulations for production, quality control, transportation, storage and implementation have been prepared and compiled according to the local conditions of the country, he said. : The existing standards were reviewed, after which the steps of reviewing and compiling the relevant standards in the standard technical commissions are underway.

According to the senior expert of diesel alternative fuels, another important result of this project is to study the current status of emulsion bitumen production in the country, to develop technical specifications and knowledge of making different types of emulsions for various road construction applications and to propose new standards.

The need to acquire knowledge of producing emulsion bitumens in the country

Referring to the very unfavorable environmental effects of solvent evaporation and the indiscriminate consumption of valuable solvents such as kerosene, Sadeghi said: "The use of soluble bitumen is severely limited worldwide and for more than 80 years, developed countries have sought to replace soluble bitumen with These are emulsion bitumens that have resulted in a gradual reduction in the use of soluble bitumen.

He said that today in most developed countries, emulsion bitumen is used instead of soluble bitumen, adding: "Using emulsion bitumen has many advantages in various aspects, including not using petroleum solvents, no need for heating, saving on consumption." Fuel and energy are non-flammable and non-polluting.

Referring to the lack of sufficient knowledge about emulsion bitumens in the country, the senior expert on diesel alternative fuels said: The lack of regulations, instructions and standards related to production, quality control, transportation, maintenance and execution also overshadowed the use of this material and Faced.

Sadeghi pointed to the significant consumption of soluble bitumen or cutback in road construction operations in the country and specified: These bitumens contain about 25 to 35% by weight of kerosene as a solvent that evaporates after consuming bitumen.

According to him, the use of petroleum products as a solvent in the preparation of soluble bitumen, in addition to problems and risks in transportation and consumption, also creates many environmental problems.

Sadeghi pointed out that using emulsion bitumen instead of soluble bitumen is a way to save on the consumption of petroleum products such as kerosene and reduce environmental pollutants. "In all cases where soluble bitumen is used, Used bitumen emulsions. It is also possible to use emulsions in many other technical applications, including repairs, staining, mulching, etc.

The senior expert of diesel alternative fuels pointed to the need to create a large number of bitumen emulsion production units in the country and the use of products in the road construction industry and added: "After the creation of these units, the necessary instructions and standards can be prepared, but unfortunately Due to these defects, this technology is not common in the country and soluble bitumen is still used.

How did counterfeit bitumen get into road construction projects? Home Reconstruction: Billions in profits keep the market for counterfeit bitumen still hot, and although the entry of this raw material into construction projects is limited, supply to the market continues.