Expansion process of foamed bitumen considering surface energy

Abstract

Bitumen, sourced from different crude oils, exhibits distinct foaming properties that significantly influence the performance of foamed bitumen mixtures. This research investigates the relationship between the expansion ratio of foamed bitumen and its surface energy. A theoretical analysis was conducted on a single bitumen bubble to explore the equilibrium between internal steam work and surface energy during expansion. This led to a unique formula linking the bitumen bubble's expansion ratio to its surface energy. The validity of this formula was confirmed through empirical measurements of four different bitumens. Results reveal a significant exponential relationship between the expansion ratio of a single bituminous bubble and the bitumen surface energy. This correlation, supported by experimental data from four bitumen samples, suggests that bitumens with lower surface energy enhance foaming performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Foamed bitumen
• Surface energy
• Expansion ratio
• Energy conversion

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Transportation Application Research Project (NO.23-JKKJ-14) of Shanxi Transportation Holdings Group Co., Ltd., People’s Republic of China.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Transportation Application Research Project (NO.23-JKKJ-14) of Shanxi Transportation Holdings Group Co., Ltd., People’s Republic of China.