DETERMINATION OF SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF BITUMEN

Test Standard : IS 1202: 1978

Test Apparatus :

1. Specific gravity bottle wide mouthed 50ml
2. Water bath (Constant temperature)
3. Distilled water
4. Beaker and Glass funnel
5. Hot plate

Test Procedure for specific gravity of bitumen

1. Clean, dry and weigh specific gravity bottle with stopper.
2. Fill it with freshly boiled and cooled distilled water and insert the stopper firmly (Say, a gms). Keep the bottle up to its neck for 30 minutes in a beaker of water maintained at a temperature of 27.0 ± 0.1°C or any other temperature at which specific gravity is to be determined wipe all surplus moisture from the surface with a clean, dry cloth and weigh again (Say, b gms). After weighing the bottle and water together the bottle shall be dried again.
3. Heat the material to a fluid condition by gentle application of heat, care being taken to prevent loss by evaporation. When the material is sufficiently fluid, fill at least half of specific gravity bottle. Slightly warm the bottle before filling.
4. Keep the material away from touching the sides above the final level of the bottle and avoid the air bubbles. The use of a small funnel will prevent contamination of the neck of the bottle. To permit the escape of entangled air bubbles, allow the partly filled bottle to stand for half an hour at a temperature between 60 – 70°C, then cool to the specified temperature and weigh with the stopper (Say, c gms). 3
5. Fill the specific gravity bottle containing the bitumen with freshly boiled distilled water placing the stopper loosely in the specific gravity bottle. Do not allow any air bubble to remain in the bottle.
6. Place the specific gravity bottle in the water bath and press the stopper.
7. Allow the specific gravity bottle to remain in the water bath for a period of not less than half an hour.
8. Remove the specific gravity bottle from the water bath, wipe all surplus moisture from the surface with a clean dry cloth and weigh it along with the stopper (Say, d gms)

Specific gravity = (c-a)/{(b-a)-(d-c)}

Read more :

1. Penetration Value of Bitumen
2. Method of Softening point test of bitumen
3. Determination of stripping value of Road aggregates