Quick answer. Before choosing any bitumen instrument, settle which extraction solvent you are permitted to use. Binder content is found by dissolving bitumen out of the mix, and the solvents traditionally specified for it are chlorinated - toxic, restricted or banned for general use in many countries, and subject to strict disposal rules where they are allowed. Ask which solvent the method supplied with the binder extractors requires, whether it is lawful where you are, and how used solvent and recovered aggregate are disposed of; an extraction unit also needs a fume cupboard. Then buy by stage: grading the binder, finding binder content, or testing the mix.
About thirty items, coded BT-0001 onwards, for bitumen and bituminous mixture testing. Grading the binder: standard and semi-automatic penetrometers, ring and ball softening point apparatus in manual and electrically heated forms, a Saybolt viscometer and a standard tar viscometer. Binder content and recovery: a hand-operated binder extractor, motorised centrifuge extractors and a reflux extractor. Water content: a Dean and Stark apparatus. Mix design and performance: a mixer with a heating jacket, manual compaction equipment and Marshall stability test apparatus in analogue and digital forms. Field and pavement work: a pavement core drilling machine, a three metre straight edge and a stripping value apparatus.
Two notes on our catalogue data: two records carry a letter suffix on the code rather than a new number, which is a format not used elsewhere in the catalogue and may not sort or search as you expect; and the Saybolt viscometer has its name split into two words. Quote the code and the full product name together and have both confirmed on the proforma invoice.
Every other page in this catalogue puts safety after the technical content. This one does not, because bitumen testing involves two hazards that are more serious than anything in the instruments themselves, and a laboratory that is not set up for them should not take delivery.
Hot bitumen causes severe burns, and it sticks. It is handled at well over a hundred degrees, it is viscous, and on contact with skin it adheres and keeps transferring heat. The rule that matters: adhered bitumen is never pulled or wiped off - the skin comes with it. It is cooled immediately with copious cool water and left in place, and the casualty goes for medical attention with the bitumen still on. That instruction should be on the wall of the laboratory before any hot work starts, along with long gauntlets, a face shield, an apron and closed footwear.
Three further hot-work rules. Never heat bitumen with a naked flame - use a thermostatically controlled oven or pot, because bitumen heated past its flash point can ignite and an open flame under a pot is how that happens. Keep water out of hot bitumen: a wet container or a damp sample causes violent foaming and can throw hot material out of the vessel. And never heat a sealed container of any kind.
The extraction solvents need settling before you order. Binder content is determined by dissolving the bitumen out of the mix, and the solvents traditionally specified for it are chlorinated - effective, and also toxic, with several of them now restricted or banned for general use in many countries and subject to strict handling and disposal rules where they are permitted. So ask us, explicitly: which solvent does the method supplied with this apparatus require, is it lawful to import and use where you are, and what is the disposal route for the used solvent and the recovered aggregate? An extraction unit also needs a fume cupboard rather than a bench. We would rather answer that at the enquiry stage than ship equipment you cannot lawfully run.
Bitumen work runs in three stages, and the listing divides the same way. Knowing which stage your laboratory is in tells you which third to buy.
| Stage | What is measured | What to settle |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grade the binder | Penetration, softening point and viscosity - the three numbers that identify a bitumen grade and tell you how it will behave hot and cold | Bath temperature control, heating rate, and the condition of needles and balls. These are small instruments whose results depend almost entirely on temperature discipline |
| 2. Find the binder content | How much bitumen is in a mix, and recovery of the binder for re-testing after it has been in service | The solvent question above, a fume cupboard, and the extraction method your standard names |
| 3. Test the mix | Marshall stability and flow, stripping value, and core samples from the laid pavement | Temperature control at every step - mixing, compaction, conditioning and testing - because a bituminous mix is a different material at every temperature |
Penetration is the depth a standard needle sinks into the sample under a standard load for a standard time at a standard temperature - and every one of those words is a specification. The bath temperature is the most sensitive of them: bitumen softens quickly as it warms, so a bath drifting by a degree moves the result. Ask what bath and thermostat are supplied and their stability. And ask about the needles: a needle is a consumable, and a blunted or burred needle penetrates less and reports the bitumen as harder than it is. Ask what spares cost and set a replacement rule.
Softening point by the ring and ball method heats a sample in a bath until a steel ball falls through it. The result depends on the rate of heating, which the standard sets - and that is exactly the difference between the two records in this listing: the manual version relies on the operator controlling a heater, the electrically heated version controls the rate itself. For a laboratory reporting results to customers, buy the controlled version; for teaching, the manual one makes the point about heating rate rather well.
Viscosity by the Saybolt and standard tar viscometers is an efflux time in seconds rather than a value in modern units - the same point set out on our oil and petroleum testing page. If your specification asks for kinematic or dynamic viscosity in SI units, these instruments do not produce it directly; tell us and we will quote a capillary bath or a rotational viscometer instead.
The Marshall method is the mix design procedure most road specifications are written around, and it is a sequence rather than a measurement: a mix is prepared at a specified temperature, compacted with a specified hammer and number of blows per face, conditioned in a water bath at a specified temperature for a specified time, then loaded in a breaking head at a specified rate while load and flow are recorded.
So a Marshall stability machine on its own cannot run the method. Ask what is included and what is extra: the compaction hammer and pedestal, moulds and collars, the extruder, the water bath with its thermostat, the breaking head, the flow meter or displacement transducer, and the load measurement. Ask also how load and flow are recorded, because the digital version in this listing exists to capture both as a curve rather than leaving an operator to read a dial and a gauge at the same moment - which is genuinely difficult and is where most Marshall scatter comes from.
And the temperature discipline, which is the whole method: mixing temperature, compaction temperature, bath temperature and the time in the bath are all specified, and a result taken outside them is not a Marshall result. Ask us for the bath capacity in specimens, because the bath is usually the bottleneck in a busy laboratory.
The core drilling machine takes samples from a laid pavement for thickness, density and binder content. Ask the core diameters it takes, the power supply - petrol or electric, which decides whether it can be used away from a supply - the water supply and collection arrangement, since diamond coring needs water and produces slurry, and the mass, because it has to be carried to site. Ask also about operator protection: this is a rotating cutter in a wet environment, so earth-leakage protection on an electric machine is not optional.
The stripping value apparatus answers a different and very practical question: whether the binder will stay stuck to the aggregate in the presence of water, which is what causes a surface to ravel. For a laboratory working with local aggregates of unknown affinity it is one of the most useful instruments on this page, and it is cheap. Ask what the method is and what the test conditions are.
The standard and version each item is built to; bath capacities, thermostat stability and whether temperature is recorded; heating rate control on the softening point apparatus; needle, ball and ring specifications and spare prices; for extraction, the solvent required, its importability, the fume extraction needed and the disposal route; for Marshall, the complete list of what is included and what is extra, with bath capacity in specimens and how load and flow are recorded; for the core drill, core sizes, power source, water and slurry handling, mass and electrical protection; hot-work provisions - controlled oven or pot, gauntlets, face shield, apron; consumables with prices; services at the position; nominal voltage, frequency and plug pattern; and the warranty, commissioning and local service position. For any certification stated here, contact us for the latest copies of the relevant certificates before you tender on it.
Related ranges: concrete testing machines, cement testing equipments and soil testing machines for the rest of a highway materials laboratory, civil engineering lab equipments for soil strength and surveying, and oil and petroleum testing for flash point and viscosity fundamentals. The full set is listed under testing machines. For a quotation, tell us the destination country, the standards your customers name, and - before anything else - which extraction solvent you are permitted to use.
Ask us explicitly before ordering. The hand-operated, motorised centrifuge and reflux extractors all dissolve the bitumen out of the mix, and the solvents traditionally specified for that are chlorinated - effective, but toxic, with several now restricted or banned for general use in many countries and subject to strict handling and disposal rules where permitted. Ask which solvent the supplied method requires, whether it is lawful to import and use where you are, and what the disposal route is for used solvent and recovered aggregate. Plan a fume cupboard rather than a bench. We would rather answer that at the enquiry stage.
Hot bitumen is handled at well over a hundred degrees, sticks to skin and keeps transferring heat. Adhered bitumen is never pulled or wiped off - the skin comes with it; cool it immediately with copious cool water, leave it in place and send the casualty for medical attention. Post that rule on the wall before hot work starts, with long gauntlets, a face shield, an apron and closed footwear. Never heat bitumen with a naked flame - use a thermostatically controlled oven or pot. Keep water out of hot bitumen, because a damp sample foams violently. Never heat a sealed container.
Penetration is the depth a standard needle sinks under a standard load for a standard time at a standard temperature, and every one of those words is a specification. Bath temperature is the most sensitive: bitumen softens quickly as it warms, so a bath drifting by a degree moves the result. Ask what bath and thermostat come with the standard and semi-automatic penetrometers, and their stability. Treat the needle as a consumable: a blunted or burred needle penetrates less and reports the bitumen as harder than it is, so ask about spare needles and set a replacement rule.
The softening point result depends on the rate of heating, which the standard sets, and that is exactly the difference between the two records. The manual version relies on the operator controlling a heater; the electrically heated version controls the rate itself. For a laboratory reporting results to customers, buy the controlled version; for teaching, the manual one makes the point about heating rate rather well. Note also that the Saybolt and standard tar viscometers give efflux seconds, not viscosity in SI units - ask for a capillary bath or rotational viscometer if your specification needs those.
No - the machine is the smaller half. The method is a sequence: mixing at a specified temperature, compaction with a specified hammer and number of blows per face, conditioning in a water bath at a specified temperature and time, then loading in a breaking head at a specified rate while load and flow are recorded. Ask what is included and what is extra: hammer and pedestal, moulds and collars, extruder, water bath and thermostat, breaking head, flow and load measurement. The digital version records load and flow as a curve, which removes the commonest source of scatter. Ask the bath capacity in specimens.
For the pavement core drilling machine, ask the core diameters, whether it is petrol or electric - which decides whether it works away from a supply - the water supply and slurry collection, since diamond coring needs water, and the mass, because it is carried to site. A rotating cutter in a wet environment makes earth-leakage protection on an electric machine essential. The stripping value apparatus shows whether binder stays stuck to aggregate in the presence of water, which is what makes a surface ravel; for local aggregates of unknown affinity it is one of the most useful instruments here. Ask the method and test conditions.
Ray Export is a manufacturer and exporter of laboratory, scientific and educational equipment based at Plot No. 449, HSIIDC Industrial Area, Saha, Ambala, Haryana 133104, India. Enquiries: [email protected], +91-9817319615.
Written by Palak Mall, Senior Content Writer. Technically reviewed by Arvind Kumar, Lab Equipment Specialist, 12+ years in laboratory and testing instrumentation. Last updated: 17 October 2026.
Specifications - standard and version, bath capacity and thermostat stability, heating rate control, needle, ball and ring specifications, extraction solvent and fume extraction, Marshall accessories and core drill details - are confirmed in writing on the quotation. For calibration certificates, standards or approvals, contact us for the latest copies of the relevant certificates. No price is quoted on this page. Listing notes: two records carry a letter suffix on the code rather than a new number, a format not used elsewhere in the catalogue that may not sort or search as expected; and the Saybolt viscometer has its name split into two words. Quote the code and the full product name together.
This apparatus is used to determine Softening point of Bitumen. It is that temperature at which a sample of bituminous material loaded by a 9.5mm dia steel ball, drops a specified distance when heated under specified conditions. The apparatus comprises of steel bracket with a sliding plate support. That support has two holes of 10mm dia on which a ring and ball guide can be kept. A central hole on this plate is for inserting thermometer. Supplied with a glass beaker approximate 600ml, high and a hand stirrer and 2 Nos. 9.5mm dia steel balls..
This apparatus is used to know the water in petroleum products or bituminous materials by distilling them with volatile solvent. The equipment consist of a electric heater with thermoregulator, glass still, support stand, condenser, receiving trap, clamp.
Ring and Ball Apparatus (Electrical) for Bitumen Testing - Electrical warming, with a Heater and Energy Regulator, Suitable for operation on 230 V, 50Hz, Single Phase, A.C. supply. Every unit is provided with shower of warmth safe glass and the accompanying. - Tapered Rings, 2 Nos. - Ball Centering Guide, 2 Nos. - Steel Ball, of 9.5mm dia, 2 Nos. - Ring Holder, 1 No. - Electric Heater (Hot Plate), 1 No. Fundamental ACCESSORIES : Thermometer IP 60 C , Range : - 2oC to 80oC..
Standard Penetrometer for Bitumen Testing - Used to decide grade of bitumen. The tests decide consistency of bitumen to grade. depths in units 1/10 of millimeter to which a standard needle having a standard weight will infiltrate vertically in a span of five seconds at a temperature of 25?C decides penetration for the degree. It comprises of a vertical column mounted on a base gave leveling screws. The head, together with dial plunger pole a cone (or needle) slides on a column and can be clipped at any coveted tallness. A rack and pinion and pointer gather gives fine change of needle or cone tip to test. It joins a grip instrument. Which makes perusing of entrance and ensuing resetting a straightforward and exact operation. The dial is graduated in 400 1/10 and the millimeter subdivisions and the needle pointer against figures makes a simple reading.Supplied with a bitumen infiltration needle, ring weight one every 50 gms. also, 100 gms. two specimen compartments. Embellishments: Penetration cone for observational estimation of infiltration of greasing up oil, oil jam and so forth..
It is utilized to decide grade of bitumen. The infiltration tests decide consistency of bitumen to grade. depths in units 1/10 of a millimeter to which a standard needle having a standard weight will infiltrate vertically in a length of five seconds at a temperature of 25?C decides penetration for the degree. Conservative with the clock to control span of the entrance. The instrument is given lead screw outfit course of action, Leveling screws, Spirit level. The head, together with dial plunger bar a cone (or needle) slides on a column and can be braced at any coveted tallness. A rack and pinion and pointer gather give a fine modification of needle or cone tip to test. It consolidates a grip system. Which makes perusing of infiltration and ensuing resetting a straightforward and exact operation. The dial is graduated in 400 1/10 and the millimeter subdivisions and the needle pointer against figures make simple reading.Supplied with a bitumen infiltration needle, ring weight one every 50 gms. what's more, 100 gms? two example holders.
Straight Edge (3 Meters) for Bitumen Testing - A straight edge roughly 3 meters long might be utilized to decide lateral surface normality of a street surface. This lightweight apparatus is comprised of mellow steel or aluminum according to clients necessity and is similarly upheld at the two finishes creating a set tallness between the street surface and the bar. Any vertical abnormality is measured utilizing augmented wedges.
Reflux Extractor 4000 GMS for Bitumen Testing -The simple apparatus working on the same operation principle of comprising of tube shaped glass jostle supporting two metal cones of stainless steel fabric and a metal condenser over the container. Provided finish with 100 channel papers and wire gage, Hot Plate. Save Cylindrical glass container can be provided at an additional cost..
This apparatus is used for determining the hardness number of Mastic Asphalt for flooring. It comprises of an internally insulated cabinet to the base of which is fitted with a water bath whic consist of two taps. The bath is warmed by an immersion heater and the temperature is controlled with the thermostat at 35? +/- 0.5? C. A 6.5mm dia pin is loaded on the specimen by means of a lever to give a 31.7 Kg weight. A dial gauge 0.01 x 25 mm is provided to record the penetration of pin into the samples.
This apparatus is used for determining stripping value of bituminous mixes carrying aggregate size: 1.0mm to 75 micron. A circular tray moves in a vertical plane at a rate of approximately 100 R.P.M. by an electrically geared motor. 4 bottles of 400 cc are rested on this circular tray at an angle of 90 . To each other with their mouth towards center of the tray. A time switch is provided. Suitable for operation on 230 V A.C. Single Phase..
The Instrument is used for checking of Bitumen percentage in Bituminous mix, the mix is added with a solvent and dissolved bitumen is extracted by centrifugal action. It Comprises of a removable Aluminum rotor bowl, Capacity 1500 gms. With a cap and tightening nut. The bowl assembly is rested on a vertical shaft, which protrudes from a cast housing. This shaft and thus the bowl is rotated fast manually by enclosed gears in the cast body and handle. Solvent is introduced during the test through the holes in the cap of the housing. A drain is provided to collect dissolved Bitumen coming out of the rotating bowl and getting collected in the housing..
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