Asphalt, alternatively known as bitumen, refers to a sticky, viscous, or a semi solid semi liquid form of petroleum. This can be found in its completely original state in nature but is also produced artificially, which is the form you most commonly are able to see around you. In terms of substances, asphalt is classified as a pitch. Gamma Construction is a pioneer in asphalt production in Mauritius. Here is a little overview of this material.
- Where does it come from?
As previously stated, asphalt can be both natural or man made, and it the man made one which is the most interesting and the most used. Nowadays, asphalt is most frequently produced from petroleum. The oil industry pumps out fossil fuels from deep under the ground or the sea and subsequently passes it through an industrial scale separation plants where the fuel is hence put apart into different branches. The is carried out by heating the fossil until it evaporates and then fractionalised into compartments by virtue of their condensation temperatures.
The bitumen does not in fact boil, owing to its high boiling point, and remains as a liquid while the other types of oil go away in the form of vapours. This bitumen is then further processed to gain the exact few properties needed for its specific purpose. These processes include ‘cutting back’, which makes asphalt more malleable, or emulsification and pulverisation which makes it achieve a better consistency. Asphalt to be used for paving roads can undergo 2 possible mixing plant types. The first one is a drum mix plant and has the feature of being the largest output facility which stands in constant operation. The 2nd type is batch plant which is smaller in scale and as the name might already suggest, produce the required asphalt only in batches.
- Asphalt Mixes
There exists 2 different ways asphalt can be mixed and the choice depends on the way the asphalt is intended to be used. These two types of mixes are namely hot mix and cold mix.
Hot mix asphalt is produced by heating the aggregates such that its viscosity is reduced and hence the whole substance becomes somewhat more fluid and is carried out at a temperature somewhere between 100 to 180 degrees celsius. This process is known as the hot mix not only because the mixing is done at high temperatures but the mixture must also be added at the relatively strong temperatures for paving or any other purpose.
Cold mix asphalt consists of a quarter inch chip and proprietary oil which helps soften the mixture and prevents humidity from mixing with it. As a result, this type of mixture does not require heat to be used, hence its name ‘Cold Mix’. This addition to the bitumen helps keep it soft and ready for use all year long, irrespective of seasons and temperature. This type of asphalt is perfect for potholes fillings and other such jobs, since cold and wet weather have no effect on it.
- Environmental Concerns
As the years have passed and concerns about the effect that bitumen and its production have on the environment has risen, the formation process has been under strict regulations and scrutiny. Oil refineries and bitumen producing plants are fitted with technology which absorbs dust and any other escaping particles and forces it back into the product so as to avoid environmental pollution and furthermore increase efficiency of the system. Moreover, old asphalt which is no longer in use can nowadays be sent back into processing with newer asphalt and reused with no other issues.
Recently Gamma Construction Ltd has procured a state of the art Asphalt Plant SPECO MBM 1500 which allows the company to produce up to a whopping 120 tons of bitumen per hour and moreover work with reused bitumen. For the best quality asphalt jobs in the whole of Mauritius, do not hesitate to contact Gamma Construction Ltd.