Softening Point Ring-and-Ball Method

Trinidad asphalt has a relatively uniform composition of 29% water and gas, 39% bitumen soluble in carbon disulfide, 27% mineral matter on ignition, and 5% bitumen that remains adsorbed on the mineral matter. Refining is essentially a process of dehydration by heating the cmde asphalt to ca 165°C. The refined product averages 36% mineral ash with a penetration at 25°C of about 2 (0.2 mm), a softening point (ring and ball method) of 99°C, a flash point (Cleveland open cup) of 254°C, a sulfur content of 3.3%, and a saponification value of 45 mg KOH/g. The mineral matter typically contains... 

Softening Point (Ring and Ball Method, ASTM D36). The softening point of an asphalt may be defined as that temperature at which... 

CEN EN 1427. 2007. Bitumen and bituminous binders - Determination of the softening point - Ring and Ball method. Brussels CEN. 

Softening point for bitumen (ring and ball method) NF T 66-008 (future NF EN 1427) ASTM D 36 Temperature at which a ball passes through tin asphalt sample disk attached to a ring... 

Ring-and-ball method (ASTM D36-26). In the United States, two other softening point methods ate employed cube-in-air (35) and cube-in-water (36). Cube-in-air softening point = R-and-B softening point +4 C. Cube-in-water softening point = R-and-B softening point +10 C. 

Although not widely used, there are other methods to determine the softening point, such as the capillary method, the flow point, the drop point, and the Kofier method. The different methods provide different values of the softening point. In general, the Ring and Ball method provides the highest softening point while the... 

Mettler softening point provides the lowest for a given resin. Therefore, both the softening point value and the method used for its determination should be given. In general, manufacturers supply the resins with a tolerance of about 3°C in the Ring and Ball (R B) softening point. 

There are several methods commonly employed to measure the softening point, such as the ring-and-ball method and Durran s mercury methods. These measure the temperature at which the resin reaches an arbitrary softness. 

Softening Point Determine as directed for the Ring-and-Ball Method under Softening Point, Appendix IX. 

BS 2782. Method 124A, Determination of softening point of synthetic resin (ring and ball method). 1992. 

The softening point (measured usually by the ring and ball method) is very sensitive to the crystalline fraction of the aPP. 

ASTM D 36/D 36M. 2012. Standard test method for softening point of bitumen (ring-and-ball apparatus). West Conshohocken, PA ASTM International. 

D 36 Test Method for Softening Point of Bitumen (Ring-and-Ball Apparatus) ... 

This test method covers the determination of the softening point of bitumen in the range from 30 to 157 C (86 to 315 F) using the ring-and-ball apparatus immersed in distilled water (30 to 80 C), USP glycerin (above 80 to 157 0, or ethylene glycol (30 to 110°Q. 

Compared with atactic polypropylene it has a lower softening point (less than 100°C compared with 154°C when assessed by ball and ring methods), has better resistance to subzero temperatures and is completely soluble in aliphatic hydrocarbons. The molecular mass of atactic polybut-l-ene is about twice that of an atactic polypropylene of similar melt viscosity. 

Several tests are available to determine the softening point of asphalt (ASTM D-36, ASTM D-61, ASTM D-2319,ASTM D-3104, ASTM D-3461, IP 58). In the test method (ASTM D-36, IP 58), a steel ball of specified weight is laid on a layer of sample contained in a ring of specified dimensions. The softening point is the temperature, during heating under specified conditions, at which the asphalt surrounding the ball deforms and contacts a base plate. 

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