In the past, the penetration index was defined based on the assumption that thermal sensitivity in the bitumen used in road construction was zero. Bitumen is a thermoplastic material, meaning that it becomes pliable or moldable above a specific temperature and returns to a solid state upon cooling.
Penetration-grade bitumen is mainly used in road surfacing. Bitumen with lower penetration grade is used in the regions with warm climate while higher penetration grade is used in colder weather.
White Lighthouse Petroleum Company is capable of producing different grades of road surfacing bitumen in compliance with national and international standards in its six plants located at Tehran, Tabriz, Arak, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, and Abadan refineries. Penetration rate bitumen is graded based on penetration and softening point tests. This table describes the physical properties of penetration-grade bitumen based on European standards. Penetration-grade bitumen is mainly used in road construction. During the last two decades of the 20th century, most road construction projects showed inclination for solid bitumen which results in more effective asphalt.
| Item No.
| Name of the indicator
| Norm
| Actual
| Testing method
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1
| Overall view
| Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | GOST R 52574-2006,
cl. 7.3 |
| 2
| Volume fraction of ethyl alcohol, %
| not less than 92.5
| 99.8
| GOST 3639-79 cl. 2.1
|
| 3
| Mass concentration of acids as equivalent of acetic acid, mg/dm3
| not more than 7
| 6
| GOST R 57251-2016, cl. 11 |
| 4
| Volume fraction of acetaldehyde, %
| not more than 0.7
| 0.3
| GOST ISO-52574-2006, cl. 7.6 |
| 5
| Volume fraction of crotonaldehyde, %
| not more than 0.15
| less than 0.1
| |
| 6
| Volume fraction of diethyl ether, %
| not more than 1.0
| 0.1
| |
| 7
| Mass concentration of dry residue, mg/dm3
| not more than 5
| 5
| GOST R 57251-2016, cl. 4
|
| Item No. | Name of the indicator | Norm | Actual | Testing method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overall view | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | GOST R 51999-2002, cl. 7.3 |
| 2 | Odor | Characteristic odor of rectified spirit without the smell of foreign substances | Characteristic odor of rectified spirit without the smell of foreign substances | |
| 3 | Volume fraction of ethyl alcohol, % | not less than 96.2 | 96.4 | GOST 3639-79, cl. 2.1 |
| 4 | Oxidability at 20 °С, min | not less than 15 | 20 | GOST 32036-2013, cl. 6.6 |
| 5 | Mass concentration of acids as equivalent of acetic acid, mg/dm3 | not more than 8 | less than 7 | GOST 32036-2013 cl. 6.9 |
| 6 | Mass concentration of acetaldehyde as equivalent of acetic anhydrous alcohol, mg/dm3 | not more than 4 | 1 | GOST R 51999-2002, cl. 7.7 |
| 7 | Mass concentration of acetaldehyde as equivalent of acetic anhydrous alcohol, mg/dm3 | not more than 5 | less than 0.7 | |
| 8 | Mass concentration of С3+С4 alcohols (propanol-1, propanol-2, butanol-1, butanol-2, isobutanol) as equivalent of anhydrous alcohol, mg/dm3 | not more than 8 | 3 | |
| 9 | Mass concentration of crotonaldehyde, mg/dm3 | Absence | absence | |
| 10 | Volume fraction of methyl alcohol as equivalent of anhydrous alcohol, % | not more than 0.005 | less than 0.0004 | |
| 11 | Mass fraction of denatonium benzoate (Bitrex), % | not less than 0.0015 | 0.0016 | GOST R 51999-2002, cl. 7.8 |
| Item No. | Name of the indicator | Norm | Actual | Testing method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overall view | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | GOST R 51999-2002, cl. 7.3 |
| 2 | Odor | Characteristic odor of rectified spirit without the smell of foreign substances | Characteristic odor of rectified spirit without the smell of foreign substances | |
| 3 | Volume fraction of ethyl alcohol, % | not less than 96.2 | 96.4 | GOST 3639-79 cl. 2.1 |
| 4 | Oxidability at 20 °С, min | not less than 15 | 20 | GOST 32036-2013 cl. 6.6 |
| 5 | Mass concentration of acids as equivalent of acetic acid, mg/dm3 | not more than 8 | less than 7 | GOST 32036-2013 cl. 6.9 |
| 6 | Mass concentration of acetaldehyde as equivalent of acetic anhydrous alcohol, mg/dm3 | not more than 4 | 1 | GOST R 51999-2002, cl. 7.7 |
| 7 | Mass concentration of acetaldehyde as equivalent of acetic anhydrous alcohol, mg/dm3 | maximum 5 | less than 0.7 | |
| 8 | Mass concentration of С3+С4 alcohols (propanol-1, propanol-2, butanol-1, butanol-2, isobutanol) as equivalent of anhydrous alcohol, mg/dm3 | not more than 8 | 3 | |
| 9 | Mass concentration of crotonaldehyde, mg/dm3 | Absence | absence | |
| 10 | Volume fraction of methyl alcohol as equivalent of anhydrous alcohol, % | not more than 0.005 | less than 0.0004 | |
| 11 | Mass fraction of denatonium benzoate (Bitrex), % | not less than 0.0015 | 0.0016 | GOST R 51999-2002, cl. 7.8 |
| Item No. | Name of the indicator | Norm | Actually | Testing method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overall view | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | GOST R 52574-2006, cl. 7.3 |
| 2 | Volume fraction of ethyl alcohol, % | not less than 99.0 | 99.8 | GOST 3639-79, cl. 2.1 |
| 3 | Mass concentration of acids as equivalent of acetic acid, mg/dm3 | not more than 7 | 6 | GOST R 57251-2016, cl. 11 |
| 4 | Volume fraction of acetaldehyde, % | not more than 0.7 | 0.3 | GOST R 52574-2006, cl. 7.6 |
| 5 | Volume fraction of crotonaldehyde, % | not more than 0.2 | less than 0.1 | |
| 6 | Volume fraction of diethyl ether, % | not more than 1.0 | 0.1 | |
| 7 | Mass concentration of dry residue, mg/dm3 | not more than 5 | 5 | GOST R 57251-2016, cl. 4 |
| 8 | Mass fraction of Bitrex, % | not less than 0.0015 | 0.0015 | GOST R 52574-2006, cl. 7.8 |
| Item No. | Name of the indicator | Norm | Actual | Testing method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overall view | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | Colorless transparent liquid without mechanical impurities | GOST R 52574-2006, cl. 7.3 |
| 2 | Volume fraction of ethyl alcohol, % | not less than 92.5 | 99.8 | GOST 3639-79 cl. 2.1 |
| 3 | Mass concentration of acids as equivalent of acetic acid, mg/dm3 | not more than 7 | 6 | GOST R 57251-2016, cl. 11 |
| 4 | Volume fraction of acetaldehyde, % | not more than 0.7 | 0.3 | GOST ISO-52574-2006, cl. 7.6 |
| 5 | Volume fraction of crotonaldehyde, % | not more than 0.15 | less than 0.1 | |
| 6 | Volume fraction of diethyl ether, % | not more than 1.0 | 0.1 | |
| 7 | Mass concentration of dry residue, mg/dm3 | not more than 5 | 5 | GOST R 57251-2016, cl. 4 |
