Adhesivity of bituminous emulsions by water immersion test

14 Adhesivity of bituminous emulsions by water immersion test 

This test determines the adhesion of a cationic bitumen emulsion coated onto aggregate when immersed in water. The adhesion is defined as the ability of a binder to wet the surface of an aggregate and to remain bonded over time. Adhesivity is the qualitative assessment of the measurement of the adhesion. 

According to CEN EN 13614 (2011), two procedures are distinguished, one for emulsions with limited storage stability and one for emulsions that can be stored. In both procedures, the bitumen emulsion comes into contact with the washed reference aggregates, and after its breaking, under specific conditions, the coated aggregates are placed in a 400 ml beaker and covered with approximately 300 ml of water. After a certain period and under specified conditions, the surface coated with the film of binder is assessed visually. 

The reference aggregate, as light in colour as possible, or aggregates from a specific job site pass through a 10 mm sieve and retained on a 6.3 mm sieve (or alternatively 11 and 8 mm). Each country should define petrographically its own reference aggregate. 

1 With emulsion of limited storage stability (breaking Index I20) 

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CEN EN 13614. 2011. Bitumen and bituminous binders - Determination of adhesivity of bituminous emulsions by water immersion test. Brussels CEN. 

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