What is the natural bitumen? In a brief explanation of the mineral or natural bitumen, the bitumen is ready to be extracted by mineral extraction or from the bitumen lakes. However, oil or refinery bitumen is extracted in the process of processing crude oil.
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In general, bitumen is made in two types of “natural or mineral bitumen” and “oil or refinery”. Both modes of this material have similar shapes and properties despite minor differences in structure.
A handful of countries have natural bitumen mines, including Canada, Iraq, Australia, Russia and Venezuela. Fortunately, the rich and rich nature of Iran has also benefited from this blessing and the mineral mines are found in western and southern cities of Iran such as Kermanshah, Ilam and Khuzestan. The sale of Gilan Gharb’s natural bitumen in Kermanshah has played an important role in the exchange, employment and improvement of the country’s economic situation. In this article, while examining the difference between mineral and non -oil bitumen, we provide useful information about mineral bitumen powder and provide you with this valuable product.
What is the mineral bitumen?
Mineral bitumen is essentially called bitumen that is due to the separation of crude oil oils and can be solid and semi -solid. In essence, the mineral bitumen will be obtained from the distillation of raw bitumen and is completely gay with the oil bitumen and only minor and minor differences.
Mineral bitumen contains more sulfur compared to oil bitumen and this can vary according to the geographical environment. It also has various impurities, such as ashes and minerals, and has less oil, unlike oil bitumen. Oil in oil bitumen can be up to %70 of bitumen weight, while in mineral bitumen is much lower. Minerals also have more soap and acidification than oil bitumen.
One of the most important applications of mineral bitumen is the use in the insulation industry such as the gas industry, oil, and so on. Using mineral bitumen can simply insulate oil and gas pipes and prevent corrosion and decay. In fact, the use of Gilsonite powder and mineral bitumen in insulation can be very effective in reducing costs and increasing the shelf life of oil and gas pipelines.
What is the natural bitumen?
Natural bitumen is actually a natural hydrocarbon resin that has other names such as asphalt, etc. and can be easily dissolved in a variety of aliphatic and aromatic solvents. It is highly compatible with oil derivatives and can be used to harden these derivatives. This type of bitumen can be very crisp and fragile in a clutch mode and is black and shiny. Natural bitumen in powder state can also be dark brown. In fact, natural bitumen is present in the vertical layers of the ground and will be extracted by modern mineral equipment. Among the most important features of these bites are the following:
- The soft point of these bitumen can range from 130 to 250 degrees Celsius.
- It is known as the best natural moisture insulation and has high molecular weight and high nitrogen content.
- In organic solutions it is dissolved quickly and has a very high purity percentage.
- It can be the best additive to moisture insulation.
Types of natural bitumen
According to the location of the bitumen extraction in a more detailed category, this product is divided into several different samples. The location of mineral bitumen extraction makes the sex and composition of the materials used in them have important differences with each other, which is effective in its application. Non -principled bitumen extraction can cause problems such as high sulfur in bitumen, high aging, high percentage of minerals and accompanying impurities, and lack of accurate identification of the type and properties of natural bitumen.
The appropriate bitumen is identified in a variety of ways that are used in different industries with different purposes. In general, the mineral bitumen is suitable for high mixing with the bitumen, and after the mixing, a suitable product is obtained in accordance with the standard bitumen. The use of mineral bitumen is very much; For example, it is used in the paint and resin industries to cover the products or in casting as an additive. Other types are also sold in the form of mineral bitumen, which have other applications that we have addressed below.
Use of Gilsonite Types in Asphalt
The most famous consumption of Gilsonite is asphalt. The mineral bitumen is known as natural asphalt because of its shape, structure and application. It is in fact the purest output of a natural bitumen mine. A substance that is quite recognizable in the appearance of black and glossy colors. One of the most important factors for detecting the quality of this product is the analysis of natural bitumen performed in the laboratory.
Gilesonite powder or natural bitumen and mineral bitumen
Experience has shown that the low melting point, low levels of mineral ash and high solubility are important features of the bitumen. Another point in terms of the quality of bitumen is the ability to make modified bitumen. In fact, the cheaper and easier the ability to build modified bitumen. The bitumen is considered to be of higher quality. In this regard, mixing capability without the need for aeration is an important issue.
In the macro, good bitumen should be extracted from a high resource mine. This feature helps to produce high quality mineral bitumen by measuring the initial extraction in laboratory conditions. Kermanshah mineral bitumen is one of the rich sources in this regard. Also, the process of extraction of bitumen should be done in a completely scientific way. Otherwise, the quality of each cargo may be different from other cargoes.
The difference between natural and oil bitumen
These two substances are functionally identical; however, there are little differences in the dose of the material in themselves. , For example, the bitumen has less than one percent of sulfur; however, the amount of mineral bitumen is usually more than three percent. More precisely, California’s mineral bitumen is extracted with %3.9, Trinidad bitumen with %3.8 and Mexico mineral bitumen with %3.2 sulfur. Iran is full of natural bitumen reserves in the world.
Another point about the difference between mineral and oil bitumen is their purity. We have said before that one of the signs of Gilsonite is the lack of a lack of impurities. Typically, mineral bitumen has a variety of mineral impurities, including ash. Approximately this type of bitumen has about one percent ash. Also, the acidic and soap amount of oil bitumen is lower than that of natural bitumen and ultimately more oil bitumen oil than mineral bitumen.
Price of natural bitumen
The price of Gilesonite Iran is influenced by various factors. Currency fluctuations, international sanctions, and domestic laws all affect it. Another factor is the time of exploitation of the mines. In the rainy seasons of the year, it is usually affected by the inability to exploit the product of mineral bitumen.
Another effective factor is the global price of bitumen that will affect the sale of this product. Analysis, quality and powder or bitumen also affect its price. With the improvement of technology and the use of advanced equipment, the sale of mineral bitumen powder has also increased in Iran, making it one of the top exporters of this product in addition to meeting domestic demand.
Use of natural bitumen
Natural bitumen in various industries has specific and defined applications. Each industry uses bitumen as a raw material or end product according to its needs.
Gilsonite means mineral bitumen that is naturally extracted and used by mines. The use of mineral bitumen and bitumen or solid Gilsonite is very diverse, which will be briefly introduced to this post.
Natural bitumen has a variety of applications in various industries. In other words, it can be said that mineral bitumen is used in road, oil and gas industries, moisture insulators and insulation, and ultimately coke and as fuel.
The simplest use of bitumen is its use as fuel. In this method, the mineral bitumen is used almost without any processing operation to supply furnace fuel.
The use of mineral bitumen in coke and fuel
The simplest use of this valuable mineral is to exploit it as fuel in various furnaces, including forging furnaces. Cake is another common use defined in Iran for mineral bitumen or gilesonite powder.
Coke is a substance used as fuel; it is made of coal and natural bitumen. Coke is a material that has a high purity in carbon content and is without ashes. That’s why it burns well.
One of the most prominent features of Bitumen (in both natural and refinery) is its fit for coating against moisture. In this respect, another common use of Gilsonite and its powder is its use in the insulation industry and for the creation of moisture coatings.
Moisture coatings are manufactured in a variety of types and each have their own use, which has welcomed the sale of mineral bitumen. As a simple example, bituminous waterproofing sheets are one of the products of the insulation industry that have small and large applications in construction and industrial applications.
The importance of mineral bitumen in oil and gas industries
But the use of mineral bitumen in the insulation industry, especially in the oil and gas industries, is one of its most important applications. Oil and gas transmission pipes are more exposed to corrosion and decay than any pipe. In the meantime, the bitumen helps to make these pipes well insulated and to be less exposed to corrosion damage. It has a special place in the oil and gas industry. The coating of oil and gas pipes can be covered with the help of natural bitumen.
One of the most important concerns of oil and gas industry engineers is the burnout and corrosion of the pipes carrying these materials and its joints. It is interesting to note that in Iran, the cost of corrosion in the oil and gas industries is estimated at about 3 to 5 percent of GDP.
So we have a large and important number that can save a huge savings. The pipe covering method can also be very different and varied according to the need; but one of the most widely used materials in this field is Gilsonite.
The use of bitumen in the road industry
As we said, the other use of Gilsonite is the construction. In this context, the mineral bitumen or Gilsonite used is called natural asphalt. It helps to asphalting the roads at a much less cost than the use of bitumen.
One of the most important signs of development and development in any country is to have standard and widespread ways. Therefore, in a country with an industrial tendency, road construction industries are of great importance. The road industry needs asphalt as raw materials to expand its lines.
Finally, bitumen plays a vital role in asphalt as one of the main raw materials. Asphalt itself has different types; but in general, Gilsonite or refinery should be considered the most important constituent of this product.
The use of bitumen in cement production
But Gilsonite is not only used in the above. It can also be used when processing properly in many other applications. For example, the use of mineral bitumen in the production of drilling cement and certain chemicals, including adhesive and sealant, are important examples in this field.
The use of this substance in the production of drilling cement and the production of other chemicals such as glue and sealant, etc., are other things that can be addressed in this regard.
The role of mineral bitumen in the quality of bitumen
Another issue in the quality of bitumen is its use. Mineral bitumen with different applications require certain characteristics. Oil and gas pipes against environmental corrosion factors are among these applications.
In this regard, the formulation of the primers and enamel was obtained by the addition of Gilsonite to the bitumen. The simplest use of bitumen powder is to use it in forging furnaces as fuel. Cake is another use of this bitumen. Naturally, in these conditions, the quality of Gilsonite is less important.
Export of natural and mineral bitumen
The bitumen market is highly dynamic around the world, and Iranian bitumen has always had many customers because of its high quality. Iran is one of the richest countries in the world in the field of natural and underground resources, including bitumen, oil, gas and so on. Millions of tons of bitumen are produced annually from the country’s underground resources and are exported to various countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, etc. and can play a special role in the country’s economy.
Extraction of natural bitumen
As mentioned, the bitumen is placed in the vertical layers of the underground, and it is possible to extract this material from natural bitumen using advanced and modern equipment. At present, Iran is considered one of the richest parts of the world in terms of underground sources such as bitumen, so that the Kermanshah bitumen mine and other mines in the provinces of Ilam, Hamedan, Lorestan and Khuzestan are the largest sources of bitumen in the world. Thousands of this valuable material are produced annually and exported to foreign countries such as Turkey, Georgia, Iraq, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates and so on. In fact, Iran, along with countries such as the US, Canada, Venezuela, Russia, Australia, Iraq, etc. is recognized as the main producers of Gilsonite’s natural bitumen in the world, and Gilsonite in Iranian sources is of high quality because of their geographical location.
The price of natural or mineral bitumen
Since Iran has the largest natural bitumen mine in the Middle East, it has a special role in the global markets of this useful material, and it can be said that bitumen exports are one of the main hubs of the country’s economy. The price of natural or mineral bitumen can be influenced by various factors and factors, the most important of which are the following:
- Currency price fluctuations
- The time of bitumen extraction and mines operation
- Bitumen
- Pit
- Volume and amount of bitumen
- The degree of purity of bitumen and…
The final conclusion
Although bitumen and mineral bitumen can have many similarities, they also have differences that make them different applications and capabilities. Each of these bitumen can be used in various industries due to their compounds, capabilities and features. The most important differences between mineral and natural bitumen include dissolution rates, purity levels, percentage of materials such as sulfur and nitrogen, etc., molecular weight, etc.
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