WATER-BITUMEN EMULSIONS BASED ON DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED EMULSIFIERS
Bitumen business development programs of the leading Russian oil companies provide for developing and using the new lines of high-tech bitumen-derived products that include bitumen emulsions. Currently, very topical are studies aimed at improving the production techniques of bitumen emulsions, namely: Selecting additives, such as surfactants, solvents, modifiers, etc., that allow obtaining water-bitumen emulsions (WBEs) having improved properties. However, it is important to pay attention to developing WBEs based on domestically produced emulsifiers, since many emulsifiers currently used in preparing bitumen emulsions are manufactured abroad. In this study, we have developed the formulations of cationic, anionic, and amphoteric WBEs based on domestically produced emulsifiers. We analyzed the basic properties of the WBEs obtained, for their compliance with the current standard. We also investigated bitumen binders isolated upon breaking the emulsions. It is found that the WBEs developed, in terms of their breaking indexes, are medium- and slow-breaking and have a high stability. With the increasing content of the emulsifier, the viscosity of cationic and anionic WBEs increases, while the viscosity of amphoteric WBEs increases to the smaller extent with increasing the surfactant concentrations. Depending on the environment conditions, amphoteric emulsifiers may manifest either anionic (pH>7) or cationic (рН>7) activity. The emulsifiers used are competitive regarding those produced abroad, since emulsions based on such emulsifiers comply with the requirements of standards, market, and safety.